Folklore
by SharaMoon
Summary: What happens when the story Sookie's Gran once told her as a child about Vampires, Werewolves, and other Supernatural beings turned out to be more than just a fairytale after all, and that somehow she is connected to it? Sookie is whisked away to another world to fulfill a destiny that was predetermined so very many years ago. Can she truly save them all from what is to come?AU/OOC
1. Fairytales and letting go

**Author's Notes:** Hello possible readers!

Okay, my muse really must hate me now because it has given me another story idea that I shouldn't have on my plate now. This has moved my story account up to 5 I will be updating…not including the co-story I am writing.

I got this story idea when listening to a song from Alice in Wonderland and it stuck with me. Plot bunnies usually do and they can be hectic. So I decided to roll with this story and see where it will take me.

I still haven't decided how I am going to balance all my stories, but I am going to give it a shot. :)

I really hope you like the idea that I came up with and I hope you enjoy what I have created. Thank you for taking the time to read. :)

Read and review!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch! Really I don't.

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>The day was drawing to a close and I hurried over to my bed to cuddle into the covers. Seven years old I was at that time, waiting for my Gran to come tell me a bedtime story. Such a sweet and endearing age; where my biggest dreams seemed to just be out of my reach.<p>

All children dream when they are younger. They wish for unrealistic things to join our world like unicorns, fairies, magical pixies and talking animals. Most of them would pick happy things to dream about…I wasn't actually always agreeing with that logic. Don't get me wrong, I wanted them too, but I must have fell off my rocker when I was younger because I wasn't particularly like a normal seven year old girl should be.

I would want to dream of vampires, werewolves, ogres, dragons and goblins. I would take them over flying ponies any day. Those creatures-that were perceived as darkness usually-fascinated me and more often those were the kinds of stories that I wanted to hear before I went to bed at night. There was only one problem here. My Gran never would tell me them.

She thought that they would scare me and I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Little did she know that I would take out books after she visited my room and would read about my favorite creatures. To be honest there wasn't much about me that was normal. I never felt like I was meant for this world.

For instance, I had an other worldly ability; one that seemed to frighten my parents so much that they made me move with my Gran when I was younger. I don't really know how to explain it to you, but I will give it my best shot. I can hear people's thoughts and what they are thinking all the time. When I was at the ripe age of five the ability swarmed my mind and I shouted at my mother for thinking about daddy in a very naughty way.

It is very easy to understand -now that I am older- that it wasn't something I should have said at the age of five. I knew why they sent me away. It wasn't because they didn't love me, no. It was because I had something wrong with me and they simply didn't know how to deal with that. I tried to not think about it much growing up because I was simply happy to be with my grandmother and it wasn't like I had much time to think about it, when my mind was crowded with everyone else's thoughts anyway.

I remember the day that my Gran had finally caved in when I was around nine years old. She came in the room as she normally would, with a big cup of warm milk for me to drink and she sat at the edge of my bed.

"What kind of story do you want to hear tonight, my sweet girl?" She pushed my bangs back that were sliding into my eyes.

I giggled but shook my head. She knew what kind of stories I wanted to hear about and I really didn't think that she would have given in. She has never done it before, but I had heard something almost silent from her mind.

_When will be the best time to tell her?_

To this day, I still don't know what she meant by that, but at the age of nine I didn't process it too much. My little mind wouldn't work that way anyway. I picked up thoughts in my mind all the time that didn't really make a lick of sense.

I watched as my Gran sighed before pulling me up. She slid me over on the bed and laid down next to my small form and I fell into her side to cuddle.

"I know what kind of story you want to hear." She whispered.

"Gran, you don't have a book in your hand." I pointed out.

"My dear girl, I don't need a book to tell you the story that I know by heart." I looked up in time to see her smiling down at me. "Now, how shall I begin? Ah, yes."

"_Once long ago, the world was much less than it is today. There was more land than there were buildings on top of it and plentiful wildlife that roamed the terrain along with human beings. It was a beautiful and prosperous place at every turn of your head. But the humans and animals weren't alone in the world. No, there were other creatures that roamed along with the humans, but not many humans would take notice. Most humans are ignorant beings and what they can't see with their eyes, they would not believe. _

_These creatures came in all varieties, colors, races and even species. Most of them lived in peace along with us, hidden in the vegetation of the woods or the peaks of giant mountains and even the deepest of the seas. But there was one race that ruled over all others; one race that stood above the rest because of strength and in numbers. These beings were of the night, one reason why they scared most others. They feasted on the blood of humans and other supernatural creatures alike, to sustain life. These creatures were called Vampires." _

I remember I could not hold my little squeal of excitement at her words. Gran chuckled at my excitement, but didn't say anything about it. She continued her wonderful tale.

"_You could say that this whole society of hidden creatures had what is called democracy. One of each supernatural would stand in for each species of creatures there were in the world, but the vampires reined over them all. They decided the final decisions of everything that these beings had created. There was only one other species that could rival against a vampire in numbers and that would be a fairy."_

I gasped. "A fairy? But Gran, they are good creatures!" I snorted. She smiled.

"_There were nearly as many fairies as there were vampires in the world, but you see, the vampires lusted after the fairies for their blood. It was a delicious scent to the vampires as fairy blood would draw them in quickly enough, but most fairies knew how to control their scents when they were around the vampires. To put it simple fairies had to be extra cautious when around a vampire._

_These supernaturals walked on this earth for thousands upon thousands of years without being noticed by the humans because they all had a way with keeping to themselves, but there were a few exceptions. Especially from the fairies that were drawn to humans nearly as much as vampires were. Fairies loved humans and wished to walk among the world freely, but of course the vampires would not give them this opportunity. For you see, there were too many risks that would bring their existences into the open and the world would turn against them. This they knew. _

_There was a new vampire that was appointed king around the time that fairies began to rebel. He was cunning and smart, this vampire king was. He ruled over all other supernaturals. He demanded that the fairies pull back away from the humans. The fairies did not listen to the king vampire's orders and therefore it started a war between supernaturals all over the world. Species picked sides and the battle continued for a long time, but there were losses in numbers, you see, and nearly all the supernaturals were wiped out. Vampires stood standing with a remaining amount left after this great battle ended._

_This is not all that happened, child. No, the humans finally found out about their existence and they wanted to rule over the supernaturals. Of course the king of vampires would not have it this way and refused to bow before mankind. There were other wars, my dear and humans lost very many. _

_Humans had called upon a group of individuals that were known to be hung for what they practiced, but they needed help and they were willing to do anything. The humans were losing badly by now. Coven after coven of witches arrived and they opened gates of oblivion around the world. Portals that hurled every last supernatural creature away from earth, but some humans were also cast in as well. Not many, but the witches said you could hear the humans screams as they followed the vampires into the next dimension. The witches believed that the reason why these humans followed the vampires into portals was because they were fed upon by vampires and because they were marked by their sins and that carried them away from our world. When the witches finally closed the portals, they could breathe sighs of relief because every last creature was gone. Or so they thought. There were some left."_

I looked back up at my Gran's face and she had an odd expression on her features.

"_For some reason the fairies were not cast away as the vampires and the smaller groups of other supernaturals were. There weren't many left in the world, fairies I mean. So few that you could count them on your one hand. The fairies felt the need to repopulate their species, but they couldn't choose just any human to bear their children. The humans had to have what was called the Essential Spark for a human to even carry a fairy child. _

_So they passed through the world. Years turned into decades and decades turned into a century. Only a few humans were found to have this spark. They bred half-fae children, which is what the fairies had called them; half human and half fairy. They didn't repopulate as best as they had planned and they finally died out; leaving the half-fae breeds on earth. Fairies live much longer than humans, but even they will die eventually. There is still half-fae among the world that had children of their own and so on, but most of the fairy blood that runs through their veins grows less with every generation."_

We sat in silence for a few minutes and I could only think of how amazing this story was. Gran shifted to sit up on the bed and I knew that the story was finally over. She turned to me then.

"So the once magical world was pushed away because of humans, but also because of the supernaturals inability to find more peace and acceptance of each other's beliefs." She whispered.

"Gran, do you think that the vampires are okay in their realm?" I asked; yawning as I finally felt tired.

"Why would you worry about the vampires?" She shook her head slightly. "I am sure they are fine, Sookie."

"No, I mean…this king. How old do you think he is?"

"He must be very old, don't you think? Much older than I, dear child." Her laughter filled my small bedroom. "They say that this vampire king was a very handsome man with long golden blond hair that swayed in the night wind and his blue eyes shined like the ocean."

"He sounds very…beautiful." I remembered whispering, my eyes fluttering closed.

"I know of another male species even more beautiful than a vampire." My Gran sighed.

"What was that, Gran?" I asked on the verge of sleep.

"Oh, nothing, nothing! Go to sleep, my little girl. I love you." She leaned over to kiss my forehead.

"I love you." I answered before drifting to sleep.

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><p>That night was the very first time I dreamed of the king of vampires. So strong and brave with his golden locks flowing. Of course the dreams developed into more pronounced and defined as I grew with age, but I could never get him off my mind. The vampire that haunted my every thought when my eyes finally drifted closed each night.<p>

Not only couldn't I stop thinking about this vampire, but I couldn't stop thinking about the story in general. Through the years fairytales and other folklore became my hobby and I would read book after book. It had its advantages. I would be so focused on the books in my hands that I learned out to put up barriers to my mind for everything to go quiet and people's thoughts would disappear. But with every good advantage, there were also the bad. I would be made fun of as the years past, but I stood up for what I believed in. That really only made things worse.

I was around sixteen years old when a rather heavyset girl-who had been my worst nightmare growing up- grabbed the book I was writing in. I had finally decided to copy down the story Gran had told me from my memories to always keep with me. This girl, Lucy was her name, tore each page from my book and threw them to the ground before stomping on the pages.

"Stackhouse, you need to grow up. What are you five?" Lucy called and her girlfriends laughed at her joke.

"Lucy, that was mine! You had no right to do that!" I chided. I glanced down at the pages that were now wet from the falling rain.

"Yeah, who is going to stop me? Crazy Sookie?" Lucy pushed my shoulder and I stumbled back.

Rage over took me and I jumped on her, throwing her down to the ground. I thought I had a good shot at actually kicking her ass as I punched her face once. I had no such luck as her friends rushed over to me, spearing me against the hard concrete ground.

I was jumped that day and after the girls had their fun, beating me into the dirt, they left me there. I walked home with a broken lip, black eye, scrapes, cuts and a bloody nose. I trudged up the steps, thanking God that it was summer vacation because I wouldn't be able to go to school without being ridiculed more than being 'crazy Sookie'. I would now be 'crazy Sookie that got her face kicked in'.

Jason was over for the summer as he usually was and was sitting at the kitchen table with Gran and they took one look at my dirtied and wet clothes, to my bloody face before they were both on their feet.

"What in the world?" Gran's shocked voice escalated.

"What son of a bitch did this to you and why?" Jason yelled, grabbing my chin before putting a towel under my nose.

"I-It was nothing." I whispered. "I got into a fight."

"Sookie tell me this instant why you were fighting at school!" Gran rarely raised her voice, but I knew she was only doing it because she was concerned.

"They…the girls took my book away from me." I whispered.

The room stood utterly silent for a good five minutes before Jason shook his head and went into the living room; thinking along the lines that I needed to figure out my priorities in life. Gran watched him go before sighing heavily. She fell back to her chair and looked at me oddly.

_She can't keep getting into fights over this…_

I had shaken my head and forced my barriers up. It was one thing to get scolded aloud; it was another thing to also get it in the mind.

"Sookie…when in the world are you going to grow up?" Gran looked down at her coffee mug before shaking her head. "It is absolutely stupid to get into a fight because of a fairytale book!"

"Gran, it wasn't just any fairytale book! It was the one that you told me! The one…" She cut me off.

"You need to grow up now. You are sixteen, Sookie, you need to realize that there is more to this world than fairytales and make believe stories." Her voice seemed sad and…guilty. I didn't know what to make of it. I would not get inside her head to find out either.

"But Gran…"

"No 'buts', Sookie. You are growing up, you need to let go of the childish dreams that won't come true."

I remember that I couldn't take her words anymore and I turned on my heels. I trudged up the stairs and threw my bedroom door closed before the tears finally fell. I did so well not to cry when the girls beat me up, so well when I was walking home in pain, so well when I watched Lucy tear my book apart, but to hear my Gran tell me that I needed to let go of the thing I found the most fascinating in this world, brought tears that wouldn't stop flowing.

I did as she said though, knowing somewhere in my mind she was right. It was childish to hold onto my dreams and wishes for so long. I did need to grow up and that is what I did. I started by grabbing all of my books that I had collected over the years and ripped them to pieces. And in doing so, ripping apart the books I cherished close to my heart, I ripped a part of my soul. It wasn't something I could get back quite so easily.


	2. Portal

**Author's Notes:** Hello my awesome readers!

Here is the next chapter to Folklore.

I wanted to thank you all for your awesome reviews for the first chapter. I hadn't had time to reply to all of them. So if I didn't get to you I am very sorry. For this chapter, I will reply to all my reviews I get! I promise!

Again this story is A/U-OOC. I hope you like what I have created for you!

Read and review: because you love me! :D

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>College could be more exciting, but what can you expect? Its school and you devote your time to getting good grades to pass your classes.<p>

Another surprise; Happy Birthday to me, I just turned twenty three, but that really doesn't matter. It's irrelevant.

I have been going to school for two years now. Started late in the whole shebang because Gran had gotten sick over the past few years and her health was steadily going down, but she had wanted me to go to school to get the proper education and I did as she asked.

I picked majoring in businesses, something that was very boring and time devoting, but I was doing well…even if it wasn't something I wanted to do with my life, but that is what it is. This is my life and it always will be.

The morning was cold on my twenty third birthday when I woke up and I stifled a yawn that was threatening to overtake me and pull me back down under my covers. I had to get to school early, I forgot to finish my report. I stood up when I could and stumbled over to the bathroom that was off to the side of my bedroom. After undressing I forced myself into the shower and turned on the hot water.

As I scrubbed my hair, I had a strong feeling in my gut that something was wrong. I didn't know what it was but something seemed off. I still lived with Gran and every morning I would wake up to smelling coffee. It was something she always did first when she was up and getting ready herself.

To put it simple, I didn't smell coffee brewing away.

I stepped out of the shower and put the towel around my body before scrubbing my teeth and then getting dressed. I shuffled through my room and stood in the middle. The house seemed eerily quiet and it was not something I was expecting.

I bit my lip as I walked to my door and opened it. Carefully I went down the stairs to see the house was still untouched from her usual morning routines. There was no coffee brewing, no breakfast that she would be making, and she wasn't humming her favorite tune that she would be.

The house was silent and cold. My heart seemed to understand this meaning, but my mind couldn't process it as quickly. I turned my direction to down the hallway, past the living room where her bedroom would be. Gran had the bedroom on the ground floor of the house. She couldn't make it up the stairs anymore.

The door was slightly ajar, as she would always keep it, but it was still dark. She hadn't drawn the curtains yet, like she does every morning. I tiptoed across the wooden floor, hearing the boards' creek. I still didn't understand why she wouldn't be up. She was an early bird, always was, but not now.

I stopped at the door and closed my eyes before pushing it open. There was a faint creak as the old door swung open. The room was still so dark that I could barely see, but her curtain was slightly shuffled, giving out some light into the room.

I looked at her nightstand first. I have no idea why I would have done that, but that is where my eyes lingered first. She had a cup of water sitting there and her medication bottle was next to it. There was a book off to the side and on top of it was her reading glasses. There was also a pen laying off to the side. It was the book she was reading before going to bed. Fairytales, I noticed. That alone sent a ping to my heart.

I had gotten over the fairytale nonsense, didn't I? Then why would that book bother me so much? I really didn't have time to think that over as my eyes rested on my Gran.

Her face was peaceful, her mouth slightly drooped. It was any normal way she would look when she fell asleep, but there was a difference. There was no rise or fall of her chest as she would breathe. I began trembling. I was frozen to the spot and I prayed that she would inhale. That I was simply missing the action, but it never came and I stood there for a good five minutes.

My feet carried me forward finally before I stopped at her bed. My hand moved out on its own accord and I shook her shoulder gently.

"Gran? It's time to get up, Gran." I shook her again, with a bit more force.

There was no response any time I would push against her. Her body would sway with my pushes, but it would always fall back to the same position it was in. She wouldn't move.

Tears sprung to my eyes. "Gran…please get up." I whispered, leaning over more.

The room was so silent now and fear leaked into my body. I leaned over to her chest and put my ear over her heart. A small sob came up through my throat when I didn't hear anything. I grabbed her hand in my own and her skin was ice cold.

"Gran…"I whispered brokenly.

There was no response and I knew there wouldn't be. I sat down on the bed, grabbing the phone next to it as I did so. I wasn't really thinking of anything as I dialed in the numbers.

"911, what is your emergency?" The operator's voice was like the last nail on the coffin. It all felt real as she said those words.

"I need an ambulance. My grandmother must have passed away in her sleep." I answered.

"They will be right over ma'am."

The operator asked if I wanted her to stay on the phone with me until the paramedics came, but I didn't. I hung up the phone and shuffled over to look at Gran's face. Should I be afraid to sit next to her body? I didn't, it wasn't something that scared me. She looked peaceful though and that was a good sign, if there was any at all. At least she didn't suffer. It simply looked like she fell asleep to never wake up.

I sat there for another ten minutes before I heard a knock on the door. I carefully pulled my body up to full height and paddled my way across the hardwood floor to the front door. I opened it slowly and hardly met the paramedic's eyes. It was like I wasn't seeing him at all. I stepped back to allow him entrance and he hurried past me. Two more people came in behind the first guy. One was another male and then there was a woman. I pointed out the direction to the room and they went past me; stretcher and body bag in their hands.

I moved over to the couch and sat down carefully. I didn't want to be in there when they zipped up Gran's body bag. I had to watch when they did that for my parents three years ago when they died in a car accident, but I wasn't as frozen that time. I loved my parents, of course I did, but I wasn't living with them for so long. It felt like strangers when they died, but Jason was a different story. He moved closer to Gran's, getting his own apartment with his girlfriend Chelsea. It really bothered him mentally. When my parents died they were leaving Gran's house from a visit. Jason was in the car as well, visiting as he usually would in the summer. He survived with minor scrapes and bruises, but our parents weren't as lucky. Gran and I rushed to the scene and we watched as my parents were body bagged. That stuff leaves scars in your mind that you can't get over. Even for me, who felt like I didn't know them at all.

I put my head in the palm of my hands and let the tears fall from my eyes. I heard the stretcher being put up and then the sound of it coming down the hallway. I didn't look up; I couldn't. I couldn't watch as they took my Gran away from me. The house finally grew quiet before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see the coroner and Bud Dearborn standing beside me.

"My condolences, Sookie." Bud said softly. "It is a sad day here in Bon Temps. Your Gran was loved very much."

I nodded my acceptance, before looking down again. "I didn't understand why she wasn't up, you know?"

"I know, Sookie. It will be alright." The coroner was young. I went to school with him. He wasn't a bad guy and he was always nice to me. His hand came down on my shoulder again. "You need to contact the family. You're brother and everything. Then you need to figure out the proper procedures. I know this is sudden and I don't want to put that on you, but it's gotta' be done."

I nodded again, trying to get myself ready for the inevitable. "Yeah, I know. I-I'll call Jason. We are the only family left." That alone hurt me. We truly were all that was left of the Stackhouse's; if you don't count Hadley and we haven't seen her in years.

"If you need anyone, I am here for you." He said softly.

"Thank you, Ben." I answered.

Soon after, they both left and I sat in silence for quite a long time. I really didn't know what to do, but I knew the first thing I had to do and that was to call Jason. I didn't want him to hurt though. We just lost our parents a few years ago; I didn't know how he would handle this. I stood from the couch in a daze and walked over to the phone in the kitchen. I grabbed it before sitting down at the table.

I dialed in his number and waited.

"Hello?" He asked, groggily.

"Jason…" I whispered.

His mood brightened. "Happy Birthday, Sook! I planned on coming over for breakfast, did Gran start it? Chelsea had to go to work, so it will just be us."

"Jason…"I whispered again.

"Oh and I got you a present. It isn't anything big, but I think you will like it."

"Jason…"

"Are you alright?" He finally asked. "Your voice sounds funny."

I shook my head to hold back the tears that watered my eyes. I swallowed the big lump in my throat before I opened my mouth.

"Jason, Gran passed away in her sleep last night."

The phone call went quiet and I hung up the phone. I knew Jason must have thrown down the phone and I could faintly see him jumping in his truck in my mind to rush over here. It was another fifteen minutes before the front door burst open.

Jason ran over to my side and grabbed the back of my head. He pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me and held me. The tears I was holding back broke through like a dam and I cried with my brother. I faintly felt his tears falling to my cheek and sliding down with my own.

I don't know how long we stood there, but Jason pulled away and began the phone calls that we would need. Gran had put some money away for this day, so it wouldn't be much of a hassle for us to try to get more money. We got everything necessary and set up a time for her funeral.

Maxine Fortenberry was at our house a few minutes later with sympathy food; that is what we always called it. She promised that she would take care of the food for after the ceremony. Jason and I were grateful and nodded in thanks before she left.

The house grew silent again. Jason came to sit next to me on the couch after getting off the phone with Chelsea.

"Nice birthday, huh?" I whispered sadly.

"Sook, don't do that to yourself." He whispered just the same.

"I don't know what to do now." I told him.

His hand came down to grasp my own. I met his eyes and for once in his life they were totally serious. "You don't have to do anything." He promised me.

The next day flew past quickly enough and we were sitting in the front row of the funeral. The preacher was talking about Gran's life and how she was a wonderful woman. She truly was and she would be missed. There were a lot of people that came. They were all town people that Gran had connections with. A lot were shedding tears as they looked at the casket.

We picked white and it was adorned with beautiful flowers; roses, daisies, carnations and many more. All different kinds that people brought. Jason and I were the ones that put the daisies, they were her favorite.

The ceremony ended and I didn't feel like going to the after ceremony. I just wanted to go home.

"Jason, I am heading back to the house. I don't feel very well." I said as the cars began to drive away.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He was watching as the men got ready to lower the casket.

"I will be." I let my eyes drift down.

We stood there and watched our only family left be put next to her son, daughter, and our mother. I didn't think anything of it as I grabbed Jason's hand and held it tightly. I knew he was thinking the same thing, but he wasn't alone as I was. He had Chelsea, who was his fiancé now. That was another thing he was going to tell Gran and I on my birthday.

Jason would be fine, but what about me? I was alone, all alone with no one here with me. Gran was the only one I really had left, but I was alone and it hurt me very badly. I kissed Jason's cheek before I stumbled through the trees toward my house now. Gran had left it to me.

Speaking of which, she had left me something else, didn't she? I stopped next to a big tree and pulled the letter out of my wallet I was holding. I didn't read it, Gran didn't want me to read it until the 'right time', but I didn't know when the right time would be.

I looked down at the letter that spelled out my name in Gran's handwriting. I felt tears again begin to prick my eyes and I didn't know what to do. I wanted to read it, but Gran would be angry if I did, when I should have waited.

That wasn't the reason why I was crying though. I found this letter when I was straightening up her bedroom. I looked at the nightstand, noticing the fairytale book that was sitting on the side. There was something peeking out of the pages at the bottom. I picked it up and this letter fell out. She had just written it, so she must have known it was her time to go.

There were words below my name: _"If you see the magic in a __fairytale__, you can face the future."_

"Fairytales…" I scoffed harshly. "There is no such thing as them. You told me that, you took them away from me, but I don't hate you for that. You were right."

The wind began to pick up now, something odd for this time of year. My dress bellowed below me and I had to grab the ends to keep them from going up and over. "The story you told me, meant everything, you know? I wanted an escape. I don't belong in this world!" I bellowed. "I want an escape! There is nothing here for me anymore!"

Lightning stuck the tree behind me and I screamed. My body flung to the ground and I covered my head with my hands. The wind was so strong now that I was being dragged backwards. That cannot be possible! I turned my head to look at the tree, noticing it wasn't there, but there was something standing in its place.

It was a void, spinning colors that seemed to go on forever. The void itself looked like it ripped into the world to be created. My heart thundered in my chest as I looked upon this thing. Lightning was shooting out of the hole, hitting everything but me.

"What the hell is this?" My eyes were wide as I kept sliding closer and closer to this…_portal_?

With one final gust of wind my body flew up into the air and I was thrown through this void. I screamed wildly as the colors engulfed me and everything drew black.


	3. Symperia

**Author's Notes:** Hello my dear readers!

So I had decided to write a chapter sooner than I had expected, but that is a very good thing for you guys right? :P

I hope you enjoy what I have created, because I really had a lot of fun writing this chapter! :P I didn't do much grammar checking, I am too lazy today. :P Forgive me.

*****Also:** I have created an LJ account and if I have any reader that has a Live Journal themselves, you should add me. I still haven't figured it all out, but I plan on keeping everyone updated on how my writing is going and also posting banners and whatnot on there as well. Just a blog thing, I guess. Username for LJ: Sharamoon91

If you want to that is. :P

Thank you for all the awesome reviews! I do read every one and I try to reply to each one. If I missed you, I am truly sorry, but I loved your reviews! I really do!

Read and review; you love me!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>I was tumbling as colors zipped past my eyes. I was far to engrossed in the color show to do much of anything else. I should be afraid of what was happening, it was unreal and yet, I couldn't look away from the swirling colors as it tossed me from side to side.<p>

I must have died, that could only be the explanation as to why I was in a place like this. Was this what purgatory was? If I was really dead and in this place, then God must have liked the hippies, because this was psychedelic. When I couldn't take the colors anymore, I closed my eyes and began fighting the urge to vomit.

I had enough of this; enough of the colors, of being tossed around and of being held suspended by nothing but air. I wished for another escape and to my surprise that is just what I got. Only it was an escape that hurt my body as I came tumbling through the void as if it spit me out. I was in midair for a few moments before I skidded across what felt like hard soil. I tumbled and rolled a few times before I came to a stop. The breath that was in my lungs was officially gone and I was left gasping for air.

I lay on the ground for a few moments to try to collect myself. That was definitely weird and something I never wanted to experience again. I just wanted to get up and go home and never think of this again. People might think I am delusional, which I haven't totally ruled out myself. I might be going crazy. It wasn't a good time for that.

My body protested when I tried to roll over and I faintly wondered how I would hide the bruises that I knew would be there on my body tomorrow morning. None of that really truly mattered because I had to get up to head home first. It wasn't surprising that when my eyes finally opened that all my vision was blurry. I had tears in my eyes from the initial smack to the ground.

I groaned. I must look really stupid right now.

I pulled my body up and slunk myself against a tree that was surprisingly behind me and put my fingers on my right hand against my forehead. I tried to steady the rapid thumping that only seemed to escalade inside my brain. I opened my eyes again to wait for the blurriness to fade and kept thinking that I needed to really get home. To my surprise though…

"This…isn't my home." I whispered.

The trees were all wrong. They were lush and vibrant. The wood wasn't the old rotting ones that I remember next to the cemetery. The sun seemed to shine a different color, a light golden and orange mixed. It sparkled down on the meadow I seemed to be sitting in. There were a bunch of flowers that surrounded me, ones that you wouldn't see in a normal meadow next to each other. There were rose bushes next to daisies, thick bushes of lilacs scattered and white stargazers popping up through the soil in patches. I looked up at the giant weeping willow tree that was in the middle of this meadow-the one I was leaning against-but it wasn't just a weeping willow. It was a mixed breed tree and one that I had never seen before. The tree had small cherry blossoms swaying in the light wind that was surrounding me. The air smelled crisp; fresh as I inhaled deeply.

My eyes trembled as I took in the area. First off, where the hell was I and how did I get here? How could I be sitting in a meadow, somewhere far away from home?

_The portal..._

So was this heaven? Was I really and truly dead? I don't know how that would be possible. How could I have died? Well, I guess I could have had a heart attack, but that is not very common for my age.

I was nervous, but not scared. I don't know why I wasn't freaking out right now but I didn't think about it much. All I knew was that this place was beautiful and I wanted to be here. Was this the escape that I wished for desperately?

Something landed on the tip of my knee and my eyes snapped down to look at a beautiful butterfly that was perched there. I didn't move for fear that the beautiful creature would fly away. It wasn't a butterfly I had ever seen before. It was all black and the wings were jagged, there were thick red stripes that ran through the black and also on the butterflies belly itself. Its antennas were curled dramatically and its eyes were a deep crimson color. I watched it closely as the wings fluttered, brushing against my skin as if giving me comfort and it did. The nervousness faded into fascination.

My eyes snapped away from the butterfly when I heard a dog's bark and then a rustling of the lilac bushes off to the left side of me. The insect that was fluttering on my knee let its wings uncurl fully before it took off into the sky. I watched it take leave before I heard the dog's bark again.

I whistled, not really sure why, but the dog immerged then. I smiled as a beautiful collie stepped toward me slowly. His eyes were intent with mine and he stalked around me. Carefully, so I wouldn't frighten it, I stood to my feet. That hurt my back a lot but I didn't let that show as the dog sniffed the air.

"Come here, puppy. I won't hurt you." I whispered; putting my hand out for him.

The dog stayed still and it cocked its head to the side. A few minutes passed and then something happened that I didn't think would. I watched the dog's fur begin to shimmer and then human limbs began to morph where the paws were. I stifled back a yelp as I fell to my butt and stared up in shock at a man that now stood before me.

"What…the…hell…"I whispered. The only word that came to my mind as I saw this happen was of a creature I hadn't thought about it so long. A creature that wasn't supposed to exist. "I died, right? Or have I finally gone crazy?"

His slightly red hair moved in the wind as he stared at me. I couldn't look at much; I had to look at his face. He was naked and standing before me as if it was no big deal.

"Dead?" He asked. His voice was rough and yet soft all the same. "No, I wouldn't say you are dead. Where did you come from?"

"Obviously not here." I whispered. "Toto, I don't think I'm in _Louisiana_ anymore."

"Excuse me?" He questioned. His eyebrow rose, but he didn't seem mad.

"I…came through…a portal?" Oh great, I made that seem more like a question than an answer.

His eyes widened though. "You came through a portal?" He seemed interested.

"I guess that's how I got here. I don't really know. Everything was just colors and then I was spit out here." I paused. "If you don't mind me asking…where_ is_ here?"

He cocked his head to the side. "You really aren't from here? You really came through a _portal_?"

Aggravation was skyrocketing now. "That is what I said." I kept my voice low.

He sighed. "You are in Symperia." It was pronounced; Simp-peer-ria, or that is what it sounded like.

"Well, then how do I get home?" I asked. "Do I tap my feet together and wish I was home?"

"You are strange." He laughed. He caught me off guard and I jumped slightly at the booming of his chuckle. "Sorry about that. I'm Sam Merlotte and you are in the woods outside my bar."

"You have a bar?" I was really confused now. "Just what kind of place is this?"

"This is my home." He was confused as well. "I was born here and generations before me were as well, but I know of the story that my ancestors came from what is called Earth. We weren't always from here, is that where you are from? You said you came through a portal, didn't you?"

I deadpanned. The story my grandmother told me so long ago rushed into my mind and left me shocked. Was the story she told me true? My hand cupped my mouth as my eyes grew wide. No, it couldn't have been. It was just a fairytale story and one that Gran made up for me!

I gripped my bag that was thankfully still with me. I looked on the ground for the letter my Gran had written, because I was going to read whatever it had to say now. Sam stood confused at my fumbling, but I paid him no mind as I opened the letter, practically ripping it out.

_My dearest Sookie,_

_This must be my time to leave this world, I knew it was coming. I wanted to tell you some things, but I have made sure that it will only appear to you when the time is right. I specifically stated that before on the back of the envelope. This is special ink, one that a very important person gave to me long ago. This ink will appear when the time is right for you to know what I have been keeping from you. The words will simply come alive on the blank page. _

_All I will be telling you now is that Fairytales are real and there is a place that the supernaturals were sent. I am sorry for lying to you, telling you that you needed to grow up, but I didn't think that this would ever be of importance. They are sealed away, Sookie, and I was not sure you would have ever found them. I was wrong in thinking that, very wrong, but I cannot go into detail now. I wanted to tell you that there _are _more things than meets the eye. You were right, you were always right and for that I am sorry for lying to you. I hope you forgive me one day. _

_This is all I can tell you right now. There are many more things that will appear on these pages that seem blank at the moment, but you must be ready for them. I do not want to overwhelm you with answers and I think this is enough for now. Just know that you are _special_ and that you were always right. I want you to follow your dreams, Sookie. I always have. _

_All my love, _

_Gran. _

I fell to my knees and gripped the paper tighter. I was right? For all the years that I have hoped and dreamed about fairytales and folklore, it was all real. Gran was trying to protect me in any way that she could. She saw that I had gotten into a fight over this, but it wasn't that she was angry for fighting. No, she was upset that I wouldn't ever get to see these things that fascinated me. She wanted me to grow up normally, but what does that mean? How could she have known that this place actually existed? That it was _real_? And what does she mean when she says that she was wrong in thinking that I wouldn't ever see these creatures? Did she know I would end up here?

_Just know that you are special…_

"Are you alright?" Sam whispered much closer to me than I expected.

I looked up and sighed with relief that he was finally dressed. He must have done so when I was frantically looking for this letter and then when I was reading.

"I-I'm not sure if I'm alright right now." I told him truthfully.

"How about you come back to my bar and we will get you something to eat?" He offered kindly.

I smiled slightly. Gran would have killed me for going with him because he is a stranger, but I felt safe enough. I needed someone in this world because I didn't know anything about it. It wasn't like Gran was helping me out anymore right now anyway. I smiled again. My Gran; full of riddles. One day…I will know all of it, I hope.

"Alright, let's go." I stood up and he smiled.

I watched Sam look up at the sky that was fading slightly, turning darker. He seemed to move a bit quicker now and I had to jog slightly to match his pace. He smiled though.

"We should get under cover. The night walkers will love to find loners like yourself at night and wouldn't think twice about taking you; even if their leader doesn't approve of 'gaming' humans without their consent." He paused. "You are human, right?"

"Yep." I nodded. "Now, what do you mean by night walkers?"

He shrugged. "Vampires."

I stopped dead. They were real too? Were all the supernaturals that Gran had spoken about real? I knew I would be asking Sam a million questions, even if it wasn't good manners. I wanted to know more. I started with something small, something I desperately wanted to know about.

"So…is there, uh, a king vampire?" I asked as soon as I caught up to him.

Sam snorted. "Oh yeah and he rules over a lot of us as well. He thinks he is superior." He shook his head before adding sarcastically, "King Eric."

When Sam wasn't looking, I smiled. The King Vampire that I had dreamed about over the years, the one that always was on my mind for the longest time, was coming back to me suddenly. I learned his name.

_King Eric…_


	4. Meeting the townsfolk

Author's Notes: Hello again readers!

Here is the next chapter to Folklore. This is a longer chapter! YAY! :P

******IMPORTANT:** I have very important news! For the rest of this month and into June a bit, I will be updating each of my stories ONCE a week. So you will only see one chapter of Folklore every week. I have a prior commitment that I have to do for the rest of this month and half of next. I hope you forgive me and still follow my stories. :)

Also, which has nothing to really do with anything, but my computer decided to crash and I lost some of my things for each of my stories. It wasn't very good and I had a HUGE freak out, but I am okay now….or as okay as I can be after losing important things.

Don't worry, as soon as this thing is over, my stories will go back to the way it was. With updates whenever I just feel like writing.

Didn't look over the grammar much. (I have been saying that a lot lately.) Forgive me.

I feel like I missed a lot of reviews when I was replying to them all. If I missed you, I am terribly sorry! I shall thank you here! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! :)

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p>"I'm Sookie, by the way. I don't think I mentioned that." I told him as we walked.<p>

"It is a pleasure, Sookie." He bowed slightly before continuing his stride.

The trees began to lessen and thin out as we continued through the winding trail. Sam seemed like he didn't want to randomly come across a vampire and as I looked up at the sun, it began to fade further behind the horizon. I don't think Sam was afraid of them; he didn't seem like the type. He was just not in the mood to see one, or that is what I was guessing.

"What are you?" I asked suddenly. "I have heard of Werewolves and other Were creatures…" I trailed off.

"I'm a shapeshifter. I can change into anything, while Weres can only change into specific type of animal." He smiled down at me. "You sure you're not from here? You know quite a lot for someone that came through a portal. You weren't even scared when I shifted. Alarmed yes, scared no."

"My Grandmother used to tell me stories of supernaturals. I have never been afraid of them, so why would I be afraid of you?" I asked.

"You're a very odd character. Most of the humans here are scared of the supes. Well, the ones that aren't married to one of us or the ones that are pets to the vampires."

"Is there a lot of humans?" I was confused. I thought the story said there weren't a great deal of humans that came through the portal.

"Well, over the years we had to repopulate. King Eric ordered the humans to create children and they did it with no qualms. It was the only way we could sustain life when our ancestors were put in this world. The vampires needed blood, and the rest of supes didn't want to die out."

I nodded. That was very understandable. To be forced into another world, they all decided to live on with their lives. So the only way for that to happen was for the humans to populate and the same with the other supes that were here.

"Vampire's don't need to feed off humans any longer though. The scientists that King Eric hired found out a way to create synthetic blood. But do the vampires use it?" He laughed harshly. "They still love the taste of human too much for that. It was simply a way to put some of the newer humans at ease."

I gulped slightly, unable to think of how to answer that.

"Were almost there." Sam commented.

There was a small white gate that was surrounding the buildings and Sam opened it for our access. I stepped through first and went down a small alley that was created by two buildings being next to each other closely. It was a rather old looking town and as I looked up there were clothes lines sewn between the buildings, holding all sorts of outfits. As I looked at some of the dresses, I noticed that they were all out of date. My dress would stick out like a sore thumb.

The dresses were classical long sleeves and long A-line style skirt that ruffled out slightly. I gulped as I looked down at my small black dress that I wore to my grandmother's funeral. My dress was short sleeved with two spaghetti straps holding the top up and my dress went down to my knees. For my world, this would be fine, but for this world…well…I would probably look like a whore in the women's eyes.

I took one look at Sam and blushed hard. I began to fiddle with my dress, trying to somehow make it longer. It wasn't going to work and I sighed heavily. I didn't want to go any further into this town. I was never good at hearing people think mean things about me.

Oh! I almost forgot that I had my barriers up! Slowly, very slowly I let them fall away and I dipped into Sam's mind. It was snarly and red and I pulled out as quickly as I entered. Sam scratched the back of his head and shot me a questioning look. It was a look that I pointedly ignored.

I didn't want to keep my barriers down but I needed to make sure that I wouldn't be in any danger entering here. I was safe with Sam and even though I was only in his mind a few seconds, I saw that he seemed to like me. He wanted to help me the best he could.

We continued down the poorly paved alley and thankfully Sam stepped in front of me. We reached the other side and I stood for a minute to take in the little town square that stood before me. It seemed to look like it was in a circle, stores next to one another with a few gaps. In those few gaps I could clearly see that there were houses behind the stores. This small square was surrounded by a fountain that was made out of what looked like marble. It was huge and stood directly in the center of town. In the middle of the fountain, on top of a block, was a perfectly carved sword that was at least ten feet tall.

Something about that sword brought me back to the times when I was in history class. "Viking…" I whispered.

"Viking?" Sam asked beside me, but I shook my head. I motioned to the statue. "Oh, yes, King Eric had that built as a focal point to this town. You are standing in the middle of Småstad. It means…"

"Small village. Its Sweden and I know a small amount of the language." I nodded. I studied many different things when I was into the whole fairytale and folklore stages of my life. I learned quite a few words in different languages, but I couldn't recall any of them until this day.

"You hold a bunch of surprises, don't you?"

"I guess." I let my eyes drift once again.

Luckily there weren't so many people on the street and Sam felt safer inside the confines of the small fence that surrounded the town. I took this as a good sign and gave my surroundings a better look over. The buildings were older and some drooped off to the side. It looked like this town came out of the mind of Tim Burton with the way it was created. The buildings were all a dark color, made of rounded rock, which was built out of what looked like cobblestones. I watched as the old lamps began to light and I was surprised to see they had electricity.

"You…know what electricity is?" I couldn't help but ask.

"The scientists figure out everything. We have had it for a few hundred years now." Sam nodded.

I watched as he leaned against the building and I turned to see that he was leaning against the only building that was made out of wood. I stepped back, in the middle of the square to look over it a bit more. There were two stories to the building and the name of the bar was written in white letters: Merlotte's. It was on a big painted green wooden sign. It was Sam's bar, but it was more than a bar.

"You have rooms at the top?" I pointed up as Sam came to stand next to me.

"Yeah, that's my home on the second floor. I have an extra room. You can have it if you want it."

"I don't have money to pay you." I shook my head.

"Nonsense. You can have a job at the bar, if you really want to pay me back." He smiled.

"You are much too kind to a stranger." I smiled nonetheless.

Sam hesitated for a moment before he laid his hand on my shoulder. "You don't feel like a stranger. Come on, you can meet some of the people inside."

I followed next to Sam as he headed to the bar, but I stopped for a moment to look up at the sky. The stars were more beautiful here. The sky seemed brighter and something that stood out was that the sky wasn't necessarily black, it was a purplish color. Stars lit the night sky brightly and what was even cooler was that there was a planet much closer than I had ever seen before. The planet I could see clearly and it was huge in the sky. It gave off extra light. The craters that adorned the close planet were visible. I smiled slightly as I took it in. This was so different and I enjoyed that.

"You coming? We will be getting more costumers soon." Sam waved me over.

I jogged over to him and waited for him to open the door. I didn't know what Sam was going to tell the other bar members, but I was sure he wouldn't just come out and say that I was from a different dimension.

"Evening everyone!" Sam said to the small group that was standing around.

I watched as Sam flipped the sign in the window to open and then move over to me once again. He gripped my elbow gently to guide me through the room and I followed quickly. I kept my head bent low and waited.

"This is Sookie everyone. She will be staying with us for a while." Sam patted my shoulder again.

I carefully raised my head to see a few people gazing at me. There were two women that stood off to the back, one had bright red hair and the other had blond. They eyes were both speculating me, I could just tell. I didn't need to go into their minds for that.

"What is she wearing?" The older male asked, cleaning out a glass.

I felt embarrassed, but he winked at me. It wasn't one of those creepy winks. It was a wink to say that he was just kidding around. I sighed with relief. None of these people were giving off strong bad thoughts so I put up my barriers. I still get headaches when a lot of minds were buzzing inside my own.

"Terry here is a kidder; don't take anything he says to heart." Sam laughed before he whispered in my ear. "He has some bad moments at times. He doesn't mean to do it, though and we keep him happy the best we can. Just go along with his mood and you will be fine."

"Right." I nodded before smiling. "Hi everyone, I'm Sookie."

The two girls off to the side didn't do much, but I was saved when another girl stepped up and held out her hand to me. I put my hand out and shook hers.

"I'm Tara Thornton and it is very nice to meet you." She turned to the other women's direction. "The redhead is Arlene and the other is Holly. My cousin is in the back and his name is Lafayette." She paused. "We are a closely knitted group and we don't judge. Well most of us don't" She eyed Arlene for a moment.

"I think your misunderstanding. I'm not from…It's nothing bad." I told her quickly, waving my hands out in front of me. I hope she didn't think I was a felon or something like that.

"Don't worry." Tara smiled at me.

"Do you think you can get something for Sookie to wear, Tara? There is nothing wrong with what she is in now, but…" Sam trailed off.

"Prostitutes wear this kind of clothing, I'm guessing?" I blushed.

Tara looked confused, but recovered quickly. "The women that wear dresses like what you are wearing are the vampire's pets. Are you a runaway from a vampire?"

"No!" I said a bit loudly and I realized that was not something I should have done. It basically confirmed that I was what she assumed. I could read it in her face, the understanding. I groaned internally.

"Don't worry, Sookie. We will get you something to wear." Tara grabbed my hand and moved over to the exit. "My house is just down the block. We can go and be back quickly."

I shot Sam a frantic look, but he smiled. I knew I would be fine, because Tara just wanted to help me like Sam did. When my barriers were down I got that much. I wasn't really sure about Holly or Arlene, their minds were really confusing. Nonetheless, I followed Tara as she dragged me to her house quickly.

When it was just her and I, I let my barriers down. I wanted to get to know her better and understand why she was practically dragging me fast through the alley. I found out that Tara didn't like vampires very much and she was nervous to be out and about at night. She wasn't afraid and I got the feeling that she knew how to take care of herself most of the time. It just seemed like…survival methods.

Tara opened her door quickly and then we were inside. Her house wasn't that big. A one story house with a living room, kitchen, small dining area, a bathroom and a bedroom toward the back. We headed there and she opened the door to allow us access.

I noticed that Tara wasn't wearing the dresses that I saw hanging up and neither were the women at the bar. Arlene and Holly were both wearing longer dresses that touched to their feet, but it didn't look as over the top as the dresses hanging up were.

Tara was in black slacks with a purple silk shirt. I didn't think that it was real silk; it was too dull in the shine, but it was pretty. Tara looked in a wooden chest as I stood by the door. Quickly she grabbed white pants like her own and a sky blue cotton long sleeve shirt.

"You have more modern clothes as well." I whispered.

She laughed. "Are you talking about the dresses you saw outside? We only wear them once a year. All the women are washing them. Every year the vampires have a festival of sorts, well the King does. All the human women line up to see if they will be the next 'pet' to the king, but that isn't all that the festival is about. It is in memory of the day that our ancestors and the Vampires came through the portal."

"You know about the portal as well?" I asked carefully.

"Who doesn't?" She laughed. "It is a really big thing here. They were all forced to reside here and they made the best of it. The festival is for all of their hard work, I guess. It is a masquerade. Have you heard of that?"

"Yes, I know what a masquerade is." I nodded. "It sounds like fun."

"It is, but don't go alone. I will hang out with you, if you want to go. Usually I just stay home. Sam goes and one year he got me a really beautiful dress from a tailor when he conned me into going with him. I think I still have it in my wardrobe, but that is beside the point. The King has security of followers that watch out for vampires who don't follow the rules."

"What are the rules?"

"You have heard of synthetic blood, yes?" I nodded and she continued. "Well, because they made that, the vampires don't need to feed on humans. All humans are allowed to have a choice if they want to be bitten, but some vampires don't really listen to this and glamour the humans anyway." She shrugged.

"Glamour?"

Tara laughed. "Pulling my chain are you?" I didn't understand and she sighed. She thought I was just trying to pretend that I didn't know about all of this. That was normal; she didn't know me at all. It was alright for her to assume. "There are places around this world that don't have very many vampires; you must be from one of those places. Well, that was until those places began to…" She trailed off before shaking her head.

My brows furrowed as a word came into my mind, directly from hers:_ Disappear_. I didn't know what to make of that so I let it go for now.

I watched as she smiled. "Well, Glamour is when a vampire can go into your mind and make decisions for you. So if they say, 'You will let me drink your blood willingly', you will let them. So the King has security guards to make sure this doesn't happen. That is why I don't want you to go alone. The guards don't see _everything_." She sighed. "I guess the king just wants us all to have fun, but he isn't as nice as some people make it out to believe."

"Why is that?" I couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know." Her brows furrowed. "He just seems...different from the rest of the vampires. He is the oldest in our land, which is why he is king. No one can overthrow him. I guess he can just be terrifying."

"Hmm." I answered.

"Well, go get dressed and then we can go." She smiled at me, pointing the way to the bathroom. I walked around the house until I opened the right door. I stepped inside and threw on the clothes that she had given me. I really needed a shower and I was sorely tempted to use Tara's real fast, but I held off. As it was, I whipped off my face and ran my fingers through my blond locks the best I could.

Once I was at least presentable, I stepped out and saw Tara sitting on her couch. She smiled once again and stood up. "Nearly a perfect fit." She nodded in acceptance. "You ready to head back?"

I smiled and nodded.

When we entered the bar, it was more crowded. I pushed my barriers up once more and shuffled through the small crowd that was waiting to be seated. I located Sam, who was behind the bar and walked in that direction. He was filling up a mug with what looked like common beer and I waited for his attention.

"You look nice." He commented as he straightened up. "Do you know how to waitress?"

"Yeah, I had a job at a place once before. I can do it." I nodded.

"For now, whatever the costumers want, just write down the order. You will learn quickly on the nicknames we do to save time." I nodded. That was common in restaurants. "So, here you go and if you have any trouble, just come and get me. I will help you out."

He handed me a pencil and a little notebook and I began the work quickly. This all seemed normal for me, which was odd. I didn't feel out of place in Merlotte's. I guess that was very nice, at least for now until I found out how to get home.

_Did I want to go home?_

I thought suddenly, but I pushed that in the back of my mind as I went around the tables. I was doing very acceptable for my first time here and most of the patrons were very nice. They didn't ask too many questions as to whom I was and that was a good thing. I really didn't know what to tell them otherwise.

About an hour later my feet began to hurt, but I scolded myself on how lazy I was thinking. I used to do this nearly every night to save up for college and I could do it now! After I put that into my mind, I bustled around quicker and got the hang of it again.

I heard the door open and I cast a look around. I saw two men, dressed in what looked like armor come walking though the bar. I stopped and let down my barriers suddenly, something told me to do it. The only thing was, was that I couldn't read anything from their minds. I heard everyone else's thoughts, but when I tried to zone in on these two men, I got nothing; a void.

It puzzled me and I watched them sit down at a booth. Only right now did I realize that the bar had gone completely silent. These were not human, they weren't shifters and I was sure they weren't Weres. These men must be vampires and their pale skin added that factor in. I felt a jolt of excitement before it died down. Arlene stepped up to me and leaned over to my ear.

"Can you get that table? I don't like vampires very much." She whispered.

I nodded absently and walked over to the table. Everyone in the bar watched my advancement, seemingly surprised that I walked so normally to these vampires. Even Sam was shooting me a quizzing look, but I ignored everyone. I have always thought Vampires were the most amazing supernatural that there was and here I was, walking closer and closer to them.

The two males were having a silent conversation. Obviously neither of them cared that the bar had gone silent. The one in the right side of the booth had pale blond spiky hair and the other had deep brown hair. I took a deep breath before I put on a smile and took those last few steps separating us.

"Good evening gentleman. Can I take your order?" I asked brightly.

The blond haired vampire didn't even make a move to notice that I was standing there. The dark brown haired vampire did however. He turned to look at me and his blue eyes met mine. He didn't say anything right away and I swear that he leaned over and sniffed me slightly. I froze.

"Hello. Can you get us two bottles of the synthetic blood, please?" His voice was calm.

"S-Sure." I told him.

"Thank you." He turned back to the other vampire and I quickly went over to Sam.

Sam gave me a questioning look before turning around and going into the fridge that held the bottles. He heated them up and turned back to me. "They haven't been in here in a long time. I wonder what has brought them back." He told me quietly.

"Maybe they just wanted to come for blood?"

"I highly doubt that. The blond haired male has a pet and I don't know about Bill, but I don't think he likes the synthetic either."

"Bill?" I cast my eyes back to the vampire and saw him looking at me again. I blushed before turning around. "Well, let's just give them their blood and they will go away."

"I hope you are right." Sam seemed nervous and my brows furrowed slightly. He wasn't going to say anything more so I turned around with the bottles in hand and walked back over to the vampires.

I laid them down at the table and was ready to turn around when the blond vampire grabbed my wrist. I froze in place. The temperature between our bodies was completely different and he felt really cold. _He was dead_; _of course he would be cold_. I had to remind myself.

"I have not seen you around here, fair maiden." His voice was musical and I nearly laughed. "I am Brock. You are a fine looking woman; will you offer your blood to a guard such as myself? I would take you over this synthetic any day. You smell absolutely divine."

I gulped and watched as Sam moved around the bar. Everything else was on standstill; the crowd that was sitting in the bar wouldn't take their eyes off this scene. I didn't know what to do, or what to say. I watched Sam shake his head slightly, telling me to decline. I could read that much from his eyes.

"No, I'm not offering. I'm sorry." I told him firmly. I didn't dare meet his eyes. I really didn't know how the glamour worked, so I just kept my head low.

"That…is too bad." He sighed, but his grip on my arm didn't loosen. "So tell me, where are you from? Not from around here obviously because I would have noticed you before, with that delicious scent."

"I…" I stopped as Sam came over. He seemed nervous and I dipped into his mind quickly. I had no idea why, but it seemed like that would hold some answers. He didn't want me to tell them where I came from. There was a reason for that…but…why? Suddenly I was shoved out of his mind and he cast me a knowing glance. I quickly looked down, feeling like I got caught with my hand in a cookie jar.

"Brock, I would like it if you would stop terrorizing my new waitress." Sam's voice was strong, holding authority.

Brock laughed and leaned back in the booth. "Just having some fun, Sam Merlotte. You can understand fun, can't you?"

"Harassing and fun are two different things." Sam growled.

Brock laughed. "You are a poor sport, Sam. I wasn't harassing, just trying to get to know this beautiful woman better."

"She obviously doesn't want your company and you should have known that as well." Bill's voice was cold now and I peeked up to look at him. Bill seemed to be scolding Brock. "I am sorry for the trouble that he has caused you, Mr. Merlotte. He likes to think he has the upper hand at all times. We will take our leave now."

Bill stood up and pulled out a few pages of what looked like their form of money. Brock looked at me and winked on his way out.

"One day, I hope to know more about you, fair maiden." Brock smiled devilishly before following Bill out of the bar.

I let out a gust of breath that I didn't know I was holding. The room seemed to finally begin to return to normal and Sam whipped a hand across his face before turning to me. I felt oddly guilty that this all happened because I was here.

"Sam, I am really sorry." I whispered.

"Don't worry about it, Sookie. Brock is always like that. Just be careful when you see him again. I am sure you will run into him sometime." He told me. "Glamouring isn't allowed in most cases, so I don't think you have to worry about that right now, but I want to do something important for me. Alright?"

"A-Alright." I told him.

I watched as he glanced around to see if anyone was staring in our direction. He seemed satisfied when he leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Don't tell _anyone_ that you came through a portal."

"Okay, but why?" I whispered just the same.

Sam sighed. "Just to keep you safe, is all."

"I don't understand…" I told him.

"It isn't something that I can talk about now. I need to figure out more about it myself, but…let's just say that if people found out…it could be bad for you." I gulped. Sam seemed to know more than he was telling me and I was about to open my barriers again, but he gave me a look. "I also don't think you should fiddle around in my mind for an answer yet either."

I gasped slightly. "How did you…"

"I felt it." He shrugged before smiling. "Truly, Sookie, I really don't have anything to hide. I just want to talk to my great grandfather first to learn more about the whole portal thing. He is like a historian. If you want to go with me, you are welcome to. I just don't want you to worry over anything that might be going on in my mind. It might not be true."

"So you're saying you think it is bad that I came through the portal?"

"Not to me." He smiled. "Just…we will go and see my great grandfather tomorrow, alright?"

I smiled again. "Alright."


	5. Story of the portal

**Author's Note's:** Hello my dear readers! I hope you are all doing well!

I have been so busy that I haven't had time to reply to your reviews! Don't worry I will this time!

One of the last part's in this chapter is going to be totally different. It surrounds a person that I have mentioned before saying that 'she' hasn't been seen in years. If you know where I am going with this, I wanted to let you know that it will be changed a bit. Her age when 'she' disappeared (yes, she disappeared, she was a bad kid :P) will be slightly younger. Fourteen years old, to be exact when she disappeared. You know…now I just confused myself. *sigh*

This is a short A/N because I simply can't think of anything else to say. :P

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>The journey to Sam's great-grandfather's home was a long trip and to my surprise, electricity wasn't the only things they had. They also had cars here, though they weren't as fancy as some in my own world. Sam opened the passenger seat for me and I buckled in as he got behind the wheel. I watched as he started up the car and began to drive in the direction he told me about.<p>

It was going to take a good two hours to get there, and he told me that he needed to make an arch kind of move when we got close to a village. He didn't give me a reason why, so I just expected that maybe he wasn't very friendly with that certain place.

I was wrong, very wrong.

As he swerved away and moved to another lane across the meadow to an off road patch, I got a glimpse of the village in question. I couldn't believe my eyes as I looked upon it. There was a swirling black tornado that was on a patch of dirt that should have been the village; except that there was no village standing. The whole area was dark with swirling black vortex and lightning shooting off. The lightning actually lit small patches of fire in some places. The tornado wasn't moving; it was staying in the same spot and was digging a hole into the earth.

I looked at Sam in fear.

"We should do something! W-What about the people?"

Sam sighed and I saw he gripped the wheel tighter in his hands. "There is nothing we _can_ do, Sookie. The people that inhabited that village…are gone."

I blinked rapidly. "What do you mean…_gone_?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. That thing…sucked the people up into nothing, the same as the village."

"How is that possible? Why is it still there?" I was confused.

I could no longer see the black tornado, we were too far away now, but I could see the blackened sky. It was only in that small part, the rest of the sky was clear and blue and off to the side, the close planet was still visible. None of that tornado made sense to me.

"We call it the black hole." He said after some time. "It will destroy everything in its path, creating a crater in the ground before it moves on. It is…eating away our world, in small parts at a time."

"What?" I yelled loudly. It was not what Sam was expecting because the car swerved and he shot me a frantic look before he got back on the path. "What do you mean when you say it is eating this world away?"

He sighed. "We're almost there." He commented, probably trying to sidetrack me. It wasn't going to happen.

"Sam Merlotte, you tell me this instant what you mean!"

"I don't know the story much, Sookie. Not all of us do." He paused. "I should let my Great-grandfather explain it to you."

I sat back into the seat and looked out the window. I really didn't know what to feel at the moment, I really didn't even know what to say. All I knew right now was that the world was eating itself and that was a scary concept, seeing as I was in this world along with them.

We pulled up to a very poor village. The buildings weren't big and they didn't have any stores. I cast my eyes to Sam for an explanation.

"The place we live is right next to the palace, where the king lives. We are in his distinction and he keeps our town nice and clean. The people that live out here, well, they left the kingdom. They didn't want to be controlled by a king. So the king doesn't give them money to fix anything and they had to make it by themselves, but they are doing alright."

"Alright?" I whispered. "They are living in huts!"

"That's the way they want to live." He shrugged. "They don't want the king and his guards bearing down on their backs, my great-grandfather included."

I sighed and nodded. I couldn't understand much here and I really didn't want to learn either. I got out of the car as Sam opened his door. I guess he thought it would be polite if he held my door open for me, because he gave me a confused look. I smiled to assure him that it was fine. I wasn't used to that kind of treatment in my own world.

I went to stand beside him as we moved through the small village. There were children outside playing with a ball and I kicked it back to them as it came my way. I watched them all giggle before running off. Sam smiled at me and kept moving forward.

I looked up at the only building that seemed semi-okay looking. It was much like Sam's bar, made out of wood. It was only one story though with two windows in the front. Sam tugged on my wrist and we moved up onto the little porch that was built. Sam knocked twice before stepping back some and then we waited for a few moments.

The door swung open to show a woman that looked like she was in her mid-forties, standing on the other side. She smiled at Sam and grabbed him into a big hug.

"Didn't think I would see you around here so soon again, son!" She kissed his cheek and he chuckled.

I watched as this transpired and only after she asked how Sam was that I was noticed. Her pale blue eyes fell onto mine and she lit up like a light. Her smile broke out across her features and it was contagious in a way that I wondered why the hell she would be smiling. It would be rude if I didn't return it, right?

"Well, who is your friend, Sam?" She asked as eyed me carefully. I felt like my every pore was being X-rayed.

"Momma, this is Sookie." He smiled and patted my arm.

I reached out my hand in good manners. "Sookie Stackhouse, ma'am. I don't think I ever said my last name to anyone." I chuckled softly.

"Denise Merlotte. " Her hand grabbed mine lightly and she shook it frantically. "Sam has never brought a girl to see me. So you must be pretty special, huh?" She grinned again.

Oh, that was why she was being so overly nice. I dipped into her mind and all she wanted was grandchildren. I felt bad and _very_ awkward. She was still shaking my hand and Sam had to intervene so my arm wouldn't be taken off.

"She's just a friend, momma." Sam told her. He had a slight blush to his cheeks that he was trying to hide.

"Oh, darn! I was hoping you were coming to tell me that you were having a baby." She sighed sadly.

"Momma!" He shook his head, laughing. "No, momma. We actually came to talk to great-granddad. Is he doing okay today?"

She sighed and whipped her head with the back of her hand. "He is doing better than he has in most days. Are you sure it's very important? He was just going to go lay down."

"Yeah, momma." Sam looked at me swiftly before looking back at Denise. "It's that important."

"Well, alright. I have to go out to the market down yonder. You mind if I borrow your car, honey? Mine is getting fixed."

"Sure momma, take your time." He told her before giving her a kiss on her cheek.

We both waved at Denise as she got into her car and drove off. I turned back to Sam with a smile on my face.

"Never brought a girl to visit your momma?" I joked.

He smiled impishly. "All she wants is grandkids, she said it herself. So I usually try to keep my girlfriends away. I don't want to scare 'em away, now do I?" He chuckled. "Besides, I haven't had a girlfriend in a while."

"I see." I nodded. "Well, are we going to find out some answers?"

"Yep, let's go." He nudged my shoulder with his.

We went to the door that was left open and trudged on through. I looked around at the small inside. Off to the left was a pretty nice living room with a small TV in the center of the far wall. To the right was a small kitchen with a dining table in the middle. I walked with Sam as he led us down a smaller hall, to the last door that was left half open.

Sam sighed before pushing it the rest of the way and we continued into the dimly lit room. It was a basic room with a dresser, a rocking chair and a bed in the middle. On the bed was a very old looking man who was reading a book. It reminded me of my Gran right before she went to bed and that constricted my airways and I was left trying to catch my breath.

The older man was having trouble reading though, because his hands were shaking pretty badly. Sam cleared his throat a few times to get his attention and finally the older man looked up and at Sam. He had to squint his eyes, even though he had glasses on.

"Oh, it's you Sam." The man smiled, his wrinkles moved back and up with the action.

"Hey great-granddad. How are you doing today?"

"Fine, fine. Well, Parkinson's is getting the better of me these days." The old man smiled again. "What can I do you for, my boy?"

"Well, we wanted to ask you a few questions about the portal."

The old man's eyes widened in size. "Why do you want to know about the portal?"

"Well," Sam turned to look at me. "This is Sookie, great-granddad. We should start with that first. Sookie this is, Robert."

I stepped forward and knelt on the bed. I wasn't afraid to do so; this man seemed harmless and very kind. His mind told me so. I reached my hand out and grabbed both of his in mine and shook them gently.

"It is very nice to meet you, sir. I'm Sookie Stackhouse and…I came through the portal."

The man's eyes got larger. "You did, did you? I am really talking to a girl from the planet earth?"

I nodded. "Yes, you are. I come from a small town called Bon Temps, Louisiana."

"Ah, the stories." He nodded. "My dear, are you positive you came through?"

I looked at Sam for a moment before I looked back down at the old man. "Yes, sir."

"Well, then I should tell you the story, now shouldn't I?" He said softly.

"We would love to hear the story, sir. I always love a good story." I told him with a smile.

"Take a seat then, my dear heart." He motioned to the chair that was off to the side. I got up from the bed and pulled the rocking chair over next to it. Sam helped Robert sit higher in his bed before he sat next to him.

"This isn't a very good and happy story though." Robert warned and I nodded. I didn't think it would be anyway.

"Two thousand years ago, my own ancestors were pushed through the portal because the humans no longer saw us fit to live in the same world as they did. They were afraid of us, which was normal and instinctual. Some of us Supernaturals are quite frightening. My ancestor hung to a tree as he watched the Vampire King stand his ground as everyone else began to fly through the portal. He heard the conversation that the king and the witches had. It goes a little bit something like this…

"_Are you too afraid of what we are that you would need to take an easy way out?" The Vampire King said as his feet dug into the earth, giving him some stability to talk this out before he too joined the other Supernaturals that flew through already. _

"_You are too different. An unknown that we will not tolerate on our lands." The witch threw holy water on the King, but it did no harm. The king just smirked devilishly._

"_You have damned us to another life." The Vampire King spoke softly. "You will be lucky that we are there, because when we find a way out, we will come for you."_

_The witch only smiled at his threat. "You will not be given the chance. One day the world will start to dissolve around you. You and the other beasts will fall victim to the black hole. It will wipe you from existence."_

"_When will that day be?" The king didn't seem fazed by the news. He was much too brave for it. _

"_It is unknown." She laughed. _

"_Then I guess I will be waiting for nothing. I will find a way to keep the world together and then find a way to come back."_

"_It is hopeless for you. There is only one thing that could save you and you will never be able to reach it." She laughed. _

_The wind picked up harder now and the king knelt down, shoving his sword deep within the earth to keep balanced. _

"_And pray tell why would it be impossible?" The king chuckled. _

"_Because you need a _Fae_ to even make your new world stable when the time comes." _

"_I fail to see where that would be a problem." The King hissed. _

_The witches cackled all around before the eldest stepped up. "Because the fairies aren't following you into your world, _King Eric_."_

_The King's fangs ran down as he growled at the woman that dared get in his face. His sword was slipping from the ground and he knew he would join the other Supernaturals soon. _

"_The only hope you have is that a decedent will come through the portal; a decedent of the fairies. There is a downside to this though, for I _See_ all." The elder woman spoke. "If a descendent of the Fae does in fact come through your portal, you will fall in love with her."_

_The King laughed scornfully. "I would not degrade myself; loving a Fae who was the reason this happened in the first place!"_

"_It could happen if she comes through the portal, but there will be problems for you. You will not be able to fulfill what you have wished for unless you kill her."_

_The wind screamed now, trying to claim the king into the void, but he wouldn't let up. "Kill her?" He laughed louder. "Simple."_

_The witched smirked. "If you think so; then there shall be no problem. The witches will always look for the day of your return then, but I doubt you will make it."_

"_Then you must be ready for the unknown as well. Watch for the day that I return and claim the world as my own." With that the king pulled his sword from the soil and jumped forward into the void. _

The story stopped and I sat there shocked, for a moment or two. The men both looked at me carefully and I didn't dare open my mouth to speak.

"Are you…a fairy, Sookie?" Sam asked.

I sat still and thought it over. "No, I'm not. I had normal parents, normal grand-parents. I am just a human." I shrugged.

"It seems that you found a loophole into this world then." The old man chuckled.

"What about mindreading? Is that a Fae trait great-grandfather?" Sam asked.

The old man's eyes furrowed slightly as he thought. "No, what the oldest vampires know of the Fae, there was no mind reading abilities known."

"So it's just some quirk that a human like I have." I joked softly.

"I really don't know what to tell you, my dear heart." Robert said softly. "If you are not Fae then the story does not surround around you." He sighed. "Does that mean then, that we have no hope to save this world? Is it wrong that I wish for someone else's death?"

"Great-granddad, don't think that way." Sam patted his arm.

"I am old and I am ready for death, but I worry about the young that are still growing throughout this world. The black hole is swallowing our world up and yet, there is no sign that a Fae descendent will come through the portal." He looked over at me. "But keep that you have come through a portal to yourself, my dear. It might not be safe for you."

"I understand, sir." I whispered.

The old man sighed. "There was only one other person that came through the portal. It happened about ten years ago and the person was also not a Fae. She was just a mere child of fourteen, of course the vampires found her that time. She became a vampire a few years ago."

"Great-granddad," Sam chuckled. "I think you are just rambling now."

"It's true, they just kept her hidden, but she wasn't a Fae either. You should be glad Sam found you, Miss Stackhouse. Being turned into a vampire isn't something that should be on your to-do list."

I smiled, but my brows furrowed. "Thank you for your time, sir."

Fourteen years ago? That's like...

_Okay…I am really confused now. _


	6. Nightly forced feast

**Author's Notes:** Hello readers!

Here we are! The next chapter to Folklore! I was really excited about this one! You will see why. *wink*

So this is pretty long and I am pretty tired. So I didn't look over grammar. I also don't want to make a long A/N. They seem pointless anyway most of the time. :P

So here you are. I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for all the reviews! Loved them!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch! I wish I owned the characters, but it isn't very likely that CH would give them to me, so sadly…I just own the plot. *sad panda face*

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>Confusion, some more confusion…oh, did I mention <em>confusion<em>? I sighed as I lay in bed. I couldn't get to sleep, which wasn't normal for me. I could easily fall into a deep slumber quickly, but tonight it was different.

The ride back home was quieter and neither of us spoke. Sam seemed to have a lot on his mind as I did, but I didn't look into his mind. I didn't want to know what he was thinking about. That was the best part about my telepathy; I could shut if off when I wanted to mostly.

I thought about my cousin Hadley that I hardly ever knew. I was thirteen when she disappeared and I have to tell you, I wasn't very close to her anyway. She was fourteen and she was a very bad teenager. Her mother died when she was thirteen and after that, Hadley had gotten into drugs for nearly a year before_ it_ happened. She rebelled against her father and one day seemingly disappeared. Her father was distraught because he loved his little girl even though she was in a certain phase that he could not understand. A parent's love never ceases, even though the parent hates what the child does.

I remember the lost flyers that we hung throughout Louisiana trying to locate the girl that seemed to have just up and left, forgetting about her family. Was that really so?

To be honest, I didn't know anymore. Could it just be coincidence that this other girl came through a portal ten years ago, the same way I came though just a few days prior? Could it really be Hadley? Should I be excited about that or upset? I have no idea of how to react in this kind of situation and I was certain that this was the reason for my sleepless night.

I rolled over and looked at the clock that was off to the side. I didn't know what to do, but I knew that I wasn't going to get any sleep.

Another thing was bothering me and that was even simpler. I knew right away what the other thing that was bothering me to no end was. It seemed that I wasn't meant for the king. I had dreams about him for years, fantasized about being with him intimately, though I had a lot of embarrassment for that, but it was true nonetheless. I felt deflated at that news, but also because I was being incredibly stupid.

If I was the person that King Eric would fall in love with, that would mean that I would die. Surely and honestly, I believed that the King meant what he said in the tale that Robert told. He didn't want to fall in love with a fairy and would kill the person. I wasn't looking for death, so why was I so sad that this could not be me? That I couldn't hold his heart, even if I wasn't meant for him. I was just a plain old human, with a quirk. To make it simple, I was just a freak show.

My eyes roamed to the letter that my Gran had written before she passed away and I quickly picked it up. I was hoping that something would be written on the pages, but what does that mean anyway? What kind of person did my Gran know that had the magic to create ink like this? A witch from my own world? It seemed possible.

I turned the sheet over and then laid it down on the bed, looking at the next blank one in my hands. There was nothing written on it and I sighed in defeat. I didn't want to wait for answers! I wanted them now! Why couldn't I have them now?

"Give me something, Gran. I need to know…just _something_."

I stifled back a gasp as small flames scorched the top of the page. I nearly dropped it, but I couldn't as I watched in fascination as words began to write where the flames stood only moments ago. It looked like the words were being burned into the paper.

_You are special. That is the key. _

_A key to your heart, my dear child; where something lies within, something that I didn't know until recently. Within your heart holds power and magnificence that could grant your truest wish. Your heart is one of a kind. What lies within…what lies within._

I deadpanned as I looked at the words. "Gran, your writing in riddles and this makes no sense."

But there were no more words that would show up and I thought of everything, but to no avail. More words simply weren't going to engrave on these sheets of paper tonight. I sighed and rubbed my hands across my face. I couldn't make sense of it either. Her words were just a jumbled amount that I couldn't figure out. No answers seemed to be held within these words, or at least I didn't understand them.

I felt oddly trapped and I breathed deeply. The room was musky and I coughed quietly. I needed fresh air and I knew that could be tricky, but I wanted it. I was sure I was safe, at least in the confines of the town.

Quickly and silently, I stood. I didn't plan on changing because it was nearly three in the morning and no humans would be out this late. Even most supernaturals-not including vampires of course-wouldn't be out. Even vampires weren't usually seen in the town. Sam said they usually stay up in the confines of the court around the castle.

I looked into the mirror and saw that my pajamas Tara had given me fit pretty good. My belly was slightly showing, because I was slightly taller than Tara, but I was fine. I thought about grabbing a coat for my bare arms, because the shirt was spaghetti strapped, but I decided against it. It would make me feel bulky. I rolled up the pants to my knees and struck out of the apartment.

I didn't need to go through the bar because there was also a side entrance and I went down those stairs after I closed the door lightly. The air was chilly against my bare shoulders and arms, but it felt good against my skin. I walked down the stairs and then into the middle of the square where the fountain with the sword was.

"Småstad." I whispered into the wind as I stared at the fountain.

I sat down on the edge and ran my hand through the water, feeling it against my skin. It was a peaceful night and no sounds were heard. I glanced up at the stars and smiled, closing my eyes as I breathed in deeply. I needed this; I needed this feeling of freedom.

Moving away from the fountain, I struck my way down one of the alleys, running my hands against the cobblestone walls of each building. I just wanted to feel the texture of everything around me. My feet were bare, as I usually would be at home when I wanted to walk in the moonlight there. There were some small puddles from the rain that fell a few hours ago and I giggled as I jumped over them like a small child.

Once on the other side, I realized that I had never been down this way before. I looked forward to the forest that was just on the other side of the white fence that surrounded the whole town. Carefully, because I wanted to take a closer look, I moved to the fence and looked out into the forests opening.

It was a beautiful night and the moon and the other close planet lit up the night sky beautifully. I sighed and leaned on the fence as I looked at the sycamore and weeping willow trees that lined the area surrounding the town. The trees were huge, but if I stood up on tippy toes and narrowed my eyes, I could faintly see a top of a building sticking out on probably the other side of the forest. There was a path that was leading from the town into the forest, probably to the building I was looking at. I faintly wondered if it was another town on the other side.

When I couldn't strain to look any longer I let my eyes fall back to the forest where lightning bugs were buzzing around something. Taking a closer look I noticed that there was a lake, just off of the path. I gasped as I saw flowers that only bloomed at night on top of the water. I always wanted one of those flowers because I have never seen them before.

"Night bloom water lilies!" I gushed softly.

I wanted one, or at least be able to get a closer look. I bit my lip, knowing that I shouldn't go, but I wanted to see the flowers up close. I could also hear crickets and croaks from frogs. It was probably a beautiful lake too, what I could see of it now gave me a silent promise that it would be breathtaking.

I bit my lip hard and made up my mind. I didn't see or hear anyone at all. I had gotten no brainwaves from anywhere in my radius, so I decided to go for it.

I walked by the fence until there was a part where I could open and I gave it a good push. The fence door swung open with a slight creak and then I wasted no time. I sprinted barefoot down the small path, the wind making my hair fly behind my back as I did so.

I grinned as I made it to the water's edge and looked over the beautiful lake. Night creatures moved around the water's edge and I saw a deer-or what looked like one-stop before me to take a drink. I stood unmoving, afraid that even the slightest twitch would scare the creature away before it had its fill. Its mouth went into the water and I watched as the creature took a few gulps before casting its head back up and meeting my gaze.

This wasn't a shifter and I could tell by looking at it. It was a normal animal that just didn't seem to be frightened of humans. Carefully, without taking my eyes off of it, I sat down on the grass. The beautiful doe didn't run away as I changed position so I thought that was a good sign.

To my surprise though, she made some sort of noise and out of the bushes of lilacs in the back, two fawns came out. They crisscrossed as they ran to their obvious mother, playing as they did so. Without knowing it, I smiled at the small family. The doe leaned back and settled on the grass just a few yards away from me and we both seemed to watch as the two fawns as played and jumped around.

I sighed softly, feeling very light-hearted at the moment. I always wanted this kind of feeling and I was getting it finally. It just took another world to get me that far, but that was fine. I really did like it here.

I picked at some blades of grass as I looked at the water rippling from frogs jumping from lily pads and into the water. Even the frogs here were different and I noticed that this breed were more than just a few colors at most. These seemed to have multiple colors and it reminded me of a rainbow. Blues, greens, yellows, reds, oranges, and purples. Any color you could imagine was probably on these frogs.

"I really do like it here." I said out loud, noticing that the doe looked in my direction. She wasn't afraid of me and I heard her faintly sneeze. It as a cute sound and I giggled softly. "Do you know why I like it here?" I smiled.

"Because you like being found in the middle of the night?" Another voice erupted behind me and I froze.

The doe jumped to her feet and made a different kind of sound, one that alarmed her fawns. I watched them run into the forest and leave me here. I gulped because when I let my barriers fall and tried to get a read on who was behind me, I couldn't. It was a void, meaning a vampire, but that wasn't all. I knew this voice and I really wish I didn't.

"Brock." I whispered.

"Ah, what is a mere human woman doing out at night all on her own?" His voice was closer and carefully I stood up.

"I don't think it is any of your business, Brock." I told him in a clipped tone.

"I think it is. You want to know why?"

I didn't dare look around, but listened hard for his footsteps. He hasn't moved closer to me and I didn't know if that was good or bad. I gulped slightly.

"You have the scent of fear on you. Tell me, do I frighten you?"

My back stiffened and I stood straighter. "Should I be frightened?" I challenged.

"Yes, I would think so." He whispered. A jolt of fear crept up my spine and I set my jaw tightly. "You see, I am alone tonight. You are alone tonight and…" He paused. I heard a different kind of sound, something like a snick. "I am very hungry."

I turned to run but I didn't make it far. His hand somehow gripped my ankle and I went tumbling to the earth with a yip of fright. I flipped over and started slapping his face as he bent over me, but it was to no avail. I wasn't strong enough to actually hurt him properly.

I looked up into his eyes that burned with thirst and then to his fangs that seemed deadly sharp. Brock sniffed the air around me and sighed out in approval. His hips grinded against my own and I felt something hard press against my thigh. I knew what it was and I wanted to be sick.

"You smell even more tantalizing when you are frightened. It is a beautiful scent, the most wonderful smell that I have ever come across." He told me and I switched from slapping to punching him. He didn't like that and grabbed my wrists, pinning my hands above my head.

I switched tactics. "Please…please don't do this. I have a choice, remember?"

Brock chuckled at my pleading. "Not in this case you don't. I will just glamour you afterward anyway. It's what I am very good at, my dear sweet _innocent_ girl."

Besides my best efforts a blush formed against my cheeks and I struggled harder. He could smell my innocence too? "Get the fuck off me."

"Not until I get what I want. I love feeling you squirm though." He laughed.

I looked up into his eyes once last time before his head descended dangerously fast and came down on my neck. I cried out in pain as his fangs punctured my skin and he took what he wanted from me. I cried as I moved harder against his restraints, but he wasn't giving up.

Suddenly his head snapped up to mine and I watched him smack his lips. His one hand came off of my wrist, but his other hand just took the place of that. I whimpered as tears fell down my cheeks as he looked at me in what looked like confusion.

"You…taste different." The hand that moved went up to wipe my blood that trickled down his chin. He collected the blood and put it into his mouth. His brows furrowed further and he met my gaze once again. "What are you?"

I didn't know what that meant so I just brought my knee up and tried to knee him where it would hurt, but that didn't do anything. His hand just came crashing down against my leg. I cried out louder as my thigh crashed back to the soil harder than necessary.

"Answer me!" He smacked his lips again. "What the fuck are you?"

"I don't know what you mean!" I cried louder.

"Well, then." He smirked. "Whatever is different in your blood, I want more of it. It is the most delicious taste too. I think I will just drain you dry and not even worry about glamouring you." He laughed and I struggled.

I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to die! I cried over and over in my mind as I struggled. My body arched against his as I tried to push him over, but it was inevitable. I couldn't move him at all. He swept down and took my neck again.

I screamed and thrashed against his hold, he only bit harder into my neck. I couldn't do anything and I couldn't stop his assault. I was sure to die and I knew it at this point. My eyesight was the first thing to start to fade and become blurry after a few minutes. My struggling became lack as I laid more still, moving only when I twitched as the pain continued to burn on the skin around where his bite marks were. I could faintly feel my heart beat, which seemed harder as it pounded in my chest, but slower.

"Please…stop!" I whispered. My voice was hoarse now from screaming.

I thought I heard the sound of galloping, but I was pretty sure I was going into a stage of hearing things, that was until a very powerful and strong voice boomed around me.

"Release the human woman, Brock." The voice was masculine, laced with authority.

Brock who was still attached to my neck froze on top of me and I whimpered as his fangs came out of my neck. His hand that was bruising and crushing my wrists moved away before I was finally free. I lay on the grass breathing deeply, but shallowly. I was shivering, feeling very cold at the moment.

"What do you think you are doing?" The voice, my savior asked Brock.

"I was feeding on a willing, my lord." Is what it sounded like he said, but I couldn't be sure.

"Hmm. Is that so?" The voice seemed to grow darker. "Why don't you try and tell me that again, because I was sure that was a very horrible excuse for a lie. I heard the woman pleading with you to stop, Brock."

"My lord…I just wanted to taste her." Brock pleaded.

"You have broken the law for the last time Brock; I told you that you will not do this anymore. I am not one to give many chances and your chances just ran out…Pam?"

Pam? I thought, trying to sit up but my head was spinning too much. I had a massive headache and it pounded and ripped through my skull. My sore hands flew up to hold my head as if it would pop off.

"No! Please, my lord! Forgive me!" Brock shouted loudly.

I heard the sound of knuckles cracking and feet hit soil before I heard a small female chuckle.

"I have waited for this moment for such a long time. I always hated you; I thought I should let you know that." The woman's voice spoke.

I didn't want to look, as wind seemed to blow past me and where Brock sat was vacant. I heard loud screams and snarls; it was something that I never wanted to hear again. I knew Brock was probably being tortured wherever he was now. He couldn't be far, the screams were too loud. I shivered and sat up carefully when the screams cut off with a weird gurgling sound and then a splash of some sorts. I didn't want to know what that was all about.

My vision was being difficult and I blinked a few times before it came back. I put my hand against my neck when I felt a small trickle of blood run down my neck. Finally I looked up and saw something magnificent.

The man, the Vampire King that I had dreamed about many times before, sat on a horse in front of me. I was sure it was him; his long flowing golden blond hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail that was swung over his left shoulder. His blue eyes met mine carefully. He didn't seem fazed by me, but I was totally over the moon sitting here in shock.

He descended from the horse as a woman came up beside him. She grabbed the reins holding the horse and stood in place as he walked over me. I didn't know what to do, but I was breathing fast and heavily. Eric-his name is-stood in front of me before he knelt.

"Are you alright, human?" He asked. His voice was music to my ears, such a beautiful and manly octave.

I didn't like being addressed as human, but I didn't voice it as I looked into his blue eyes. "I-I'm fine."

"He will not be coming back." The woman holding the reins stated from behind Eric. I looked around him to see she was covered in blood and she was smirking. I shivered again.

Eric cocked his head slightly to the side, which caught my attention and I gazed back into his eyes. "Do you live in Småstad? I have never seen you before around my castle."

I didn't look away from his eyes and I felt an oddly weird sensation in the back of my mind. I dismissed it and decided to answer King Eric the best I could, without outing myself that I come from another world. I needed to keep that hidden; it was for my own good right?

"I do live in Småstad, I moved there recently." I told him. His eyes were so beautiful.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Sookie Stackhouse." I told him truthfully.

His brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything. His eyes didn't leave mine for a few more moments and I couldn't take them off the perfect pools of blue. Magnificent eyes he had. Finally, much to my disappointment, he looked away. The weird sensation in the back of my mind dissolved away. "Come, I will walk you back to the town."

"You are going to walk a mere human back to her town, Eric? Why would you do that?" Pam-or as he called her spoke. King Eric didn't even give her an answer, just kept walking away. "What the fuck am I supposed to do, wait for you and watch your damn horse?" I gasped at how openly and sarcastically she spoke to her king.

"You know not to speak that way to your king." Eric said as if her words didn't faze him. He didn't even turn to look at her.

"Yeah, sire." She huffed, rolling her eyes behind his back.

I gaped at her before I turned back. I didn't know if I could walk straight, my legs were awfully wobbly. I managed to put one foot in front of the other and follow him through the forest. We were halfway there when my legs decided to betray me and I slipped forward.

Before I could fall on my face an arm came down against my wrist and I was swung back to my feet. I winced at the touch because my wrists were really protesting from Brock's strong hold, but I was grateful when I didn't hit my face off the ground.

"S-Sorry." I whispered, putting my head down.

"Be careful." He ordered, but it wasn't done in anger. He simply seemed bored that he was walking me back to the town.

My heart was still racing at the close proximity that I was next to him. Finally, after years of fantasies, I was here with him. I licked my suddenly dry lips and kept walking. I could always think about everything later, when I was alone to where I wouldn't embarrass myself further.

We reached the gate and he strolled on through the gate I left open. I tagged along behind him silently.

"Where are you staying?" His voice traveled back to me.

"With Sam Merlotte."

"Ah, the shifter. Come." He turned down the alley that I passed through not long ago.

I was really tired now and by the time we reached the steps of the building, he walked up them silently. I moved more slowly up them, leaning heavily against the banister. I panted as I made it to the top.

"Drink a lot of fluids." He said offhanded. His voice was nearly silent and it was probably because he didn't want to be seen here.

"Alright." I nodded. "Thank you for…stopping him."

"Think nothing of it, Miss Stackhouse." Eric moved away from the banister that he was leaning on and came toward me.

He looked at my face until he caught my eyes. I looked into them deeply and felt the strange sensation that happened just a few minutes ago, back in the forest. I had a weird impulse to reach up and scratch my head, but I didn't.

I gulped as he spoke. "You will not remember this event. You will wear scarves for the next few days to hide the bite mark on your neck and long sleeve shirts to hide the bruises on your wrists. You don't know where the marks came from, but you will not question it. You were also never in the forest tonight and you never saw Pam, Brock, or myself. Do you understand?"

I blinked slowly. "Okay."

"Good. Now, goodnight Miss Stackhouse."

"G-Goodnight." I whispered as I watched him fly off into the night.

I shuffled inside the door and leaned heavily. I dragged my hand over my forehead and then down over my face, resting on the bite marks that were there. That I knew were there. I knew now what he did. Eric tried to glamour me. Yes, I said _tried_.

To put it simple, _it didn't work_. Why would that be?


	7. Shopping trip surprises

**Author's Notes:** Hello readers!

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews you are giving me! I have to remember to reply to them, because I feel so bad when I don't.

So here is the next chapter and it ended somewhat differently than I had originally planned, but I like it. I hope you do as well.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

The next few weeks were easier and I didn't dare go out at night alone anymore. I just couldn't make myself do it again. It was a really stupid idea for me to do it to begin with and I nearly died from Brock taking so much blood.

As I thought this over, my hand drifted up to my neck. Though the marks had faded and so did the bruises, I could still feel them on my skin. It was a subconscious thing, but it felt like they were always there. I didn't know what to think about it in the first place. The biting hurt really bad and I didn't want that to happen again. It scared me, but at the same time it led me to someone that I never thought I would actually talk to.

King Eric saved me that night and he tried to glamour me as well. It didn't work and I didn't understand that. I also didn't understand what Brock meant by that I tasted different. What could that possibly mean? To be honest though, I was disheartened. I was fascinated with Eric, but he didn't seem to really care that he just saved my life. I didn't see him after that night though, which was also sad to me in my mind.

I ran a shaky hand over my face before I stepped into the shower. I needed to get cleaned because today was a very important event. The dresses that were hanging outside when I first came into this world were for a masquerade and that event finally came. The women would take the dresses and wash them and then do it again to make sure there was no dirt on the dresses whatsoever.

I thought it was pretty funny when I first heard that is what they were doing. Why would you wash a dress more than once? That was until Tara told me that the women wanted to look their best for the King in hopes that they would become his pet. She told me about that before, but it never really clicked into my head. I was confused with the word until Tara filled me in yesterday.

"_What is a pet?" I asked as I set beers on the one table. _

"_You mean a vampire's pet?" She eyed me. "Are you sure you don't know what that is Sookie? I was under the impression that you were a…well, a vampire's pet before." _

"_No, I wasn't." I told her softly. "I'm new to all of this."_

_Tara picked up a box and carried it behind the bar. "Well, a pet is a continued source of blood for a vampire. The pet offers themselves in services of vampires, but it isn't all about the blood either, Sook."_

"_Then what is it?" I asked; edging her further. _

"_Well, it's also about the sex."_

_I nearly choked on my own spit. "Sex?" _

"_Oh yeah. Vampires are really big on sex, or so I have heard. Blood and sex go hand in hand with them."_

"_So the women hope to be the continued source of blood and sex for the vampire king?" I asked. I was blushing madly, but that was beside the point. _

"_It's a really big honor to be with the king in that way." Dawn spoke from behind us. She was a waitress here at Merlotte's, but I haven't seen her much. She wasn't here the night I first started. Dawn also didn't like me whatsoever and the feeling was mutual. "The king also showers that selected women with anything that they could want; jewels, clothes, money and anything their hearts desire."_

"_You sure know a lot about it, Dawn when you haven't even been with him." Tara snorted scornfully. _

"_I know he will catch my eye this year. It's the first year that I am actually here in town when the festival comes. Well, that is if you don't count when I was young." Dawn smiled suddenly. "And who says I haven't been with the king? Hmm?"_

"_What?" I said. I couldn't help it. There was just something with her last statement that bothered me to no end._

"_Yes, I have been with him before and let me tell you," Dawn closed her eyes and bit her lip. "It was incredible."_

_I swallowed the lump in my throat. _

"_We shouldn't really just assume that she was with him." Tara said. I bet she did that for me, seeing how I reacted. I must have been transparent. _

"_Well you should!" Dawn proclaimed loudly. "And you know what? He will finally pick me to be his pet. I will get to have him every night instead of just a random meet and fuck."_

"_That sounds…" I shriveled my nose. _

"_Wonderful?" She supplied; smiling snidely. _

"_Disgusting on your part." I finished. "I can understand it's what he does, but you sound awfully desperate. You want him for his money and just the sex. It isn't because you like him or even love him."_

"_Your just jealous, Sookie. You will never catch his eyes like I did and that bothers you." She proclaimed hotly._

"_Really?" Tara shouted as Dawn stormed out. _

I sighed as my memory of yesterday faded. After scrubbing my hair and washing my body off, I stepped out of the shower. Collecting myself in a towel, I stepped from the bathroom and headed to my room I was staying in. I passed Sam on the way and wished that I hadn't forgotten my clothes in my room.

Sam stopped suddenly and his eyes widened. The hallway was very narrow and we had to back into the walls so we didn't bump into one another and seeing that I was in a towel, I hugged that wall like there was no tomorrow. Sam had a crush on me and I could tell without looking into his mind. The way he would just look at me told me so, but I didn't like Sam that way. He was just a good friend to me.

So, that made it awkward when I tried to get around him and then to back into my room slowly. When I succeeded, I sighed in relief. Closing my door, I went over to the dresser. I had to get some underclothes before I headed over to Tara's house. The bar was going to go slow today and Tara said she wanted to take me ball gown shopping for the masquerade.

It was still early in the morning and we had to head to another town to see the tailor there. Tara told me that they had the best dresses and that was where Sam had gotten Tara's when she went with him. I told her that was fine and I could use a road trip. I really did need it.

After I grabbed a bra and panties, I threw them on and went to the closet. Working for Sam was nice and I made good money so that helped when I needed clothes. Tara and Holly both gave me some of their old clothes too. It was nice of them to think of me when I desperately needed things and I needed some clothes more than anything else at that time. I threw on a blue t-shirt and blue jeans and I was on my way out.

Getting to Tara's was easy and then we were in the car driving in five minutes tops. She had to borrow Sam's car, since she didn't have one of her own at the moment, but Sam was kind enough to let us use it for the day.

Speaking of Sam, he gave me a bonus on my check. I wasn't supposed to get it for another week but he said he wanted me to have fun at the masquerade. I nearly didn't take it. I wasn't raised that way to just get money handed to me, even if it was mine with a bit extra added to it, but after a small argument, he won and I had nearly five hundred dollars in my hand.

In this world everything costs less and though five hundred dollars doesn't seem like enough, that was a good amount and then some. I wondered how much the dress would be, but that didn't really matter. I had to pick one first.

Tara didn't speak as she curved away from the road, but I knew that look on her face. I had gotten close to her and I knew all of her facial expressions. The look she was giving wasn't a good one by any means. Casting my eyes over, I saw that the black hole had moved to another small town off in the distance. It was truly devastating to watch this, because there was still some buildings standing, meaning that people must have been inside.

The one barn was being ripped apart as I looked and then the red painted wood began to fly around the tornado like cloud until it disappeared at the top. I wanted to cry for those people. I felt the tears begin to swell in my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. It would be useless to cry, because there was nothing that could be done. One day that black hole would fall down on Småstad, where I lived. Would I be here when it did? Would I die in this world that has become my home?

"We're here." Tara said as she got out of the car.

This town was much nicer than the one I went with Sam to last time I was out. Tara had explained to me that another vampire woman lived here. She wasn't a queen by any means, but she was highly respected among most, so King Eric took care of this village just as he did Småstad.

The town had the same look as Småstad did. Cobblestone buildings that were pushed together closer than at home, but it looked nice nonetheless. It wasn't as great as my home, but it was still a fine looking little town.

Tara linked her arm around mine and pulled me off in the left direction of the town. The main square was busy. A Bakery, flower shop, grocery store, building supply shop, we passed them all and finally the clothing and tailoring store stood at the end. I was drawn by the attention of a bigger house that stood just passed the clothing store, up on a hill. It looked like a manor of some kind. Tara stopped to look as well. The windows were dark as if big curtains shut out the light, but it was too far away to notice if the curtains that were in the window were drawn shut or were open.

"You won't be able to visit the vampire today girls. She isn't in town if that is what y'all are here for and it's too early in the morning anyway. They sleep all day, you know." The voice of a woman spoke to the right of us. Tara and I jumped before we turned out attention to an older woman.

For a moment my heart constricted and reminded me of my home in Bon Temps. Not because of the buildings here, but because of the old woman that stood before me. She reminded me of Gran right away and it hurt. I would guess that the lady was around my Gran's age before my Gran passed. She didn't look like my Gran, but just something about that lady made me think of her nonetheless.

"No, ma'am." I gulped and smiled. "We're not here to see the vampire. We came to get a ball gown."

The older woman smiled. "You are, are you dear? That is wonderful. Please, do come in my little shop. I have many selections."

The lady turned and went inside the shop. She walked at a slow pace, bent over slightly and shuffled across the hardwood floor. My instincts were trying to kick in and hold out my hands to guide her because I was deathly afraid that she would trip, but she didn't. We went inside the little shop, but I didn't have time to look around at first. I wanted to see that the nice lady got off her feet for a little bit. She looked awfully tired.

"Please, have a seat ma'am." I told her and held out my hand for her to take.

The lady smiled at me and gripped my hand in hers as I helped her sit down behind the counter. When she was situated, she patted my hand and gave me another small smile.

"You are very kind, girl. If I may be so bold, what is your name?" She asked.

I smiled. "Of course, ma'am, I'm Sookie Stackhouse and this here is my friend Tara."

"Yes, I remember this one." The lady waved to Tara and smiled. Tara chuckled a bit and waved back. "She came before and got a beautiful purple ball gown. My name is Nancy Fleck, by the way."

"It is very nice to meet you, Nancy." I said softly.

"You're here to get a dress for the Masquerade? I have many selections that you can choose from." She waved her hand around the shop. "Now, I think I am just going to sit here and wait for you, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, Nancy." I smiled and turned back to the dress selections.

There weren't too many considering how small the store was, but there was enough. Tara took the one side and I took the other as we went through the dresses on the mannequins and racks. They were all very beautiful, but none of them seemed right for me. I didn't really know what to expect, the only time I came to a ball gown before was when Gran tried to get me to go to my high school prom one year. It didn't happen; I never had any patience with those.

I let my barriers fall down and listen to the minds that were buzzing around the town. I had to do this every once in a while because if I didn't, when I did hear everything again it would be too loud and hectic. It was practice for me. I got a slight whispering thought from Nancy, thinking that none of the dresses I tried on looked quite right and I had to agree with her. They weren't for me. The blue sparkles, pink sparkles, white lace, black satin, and a few more just didn't work. I didn't like the colors much on myself. Don't get me wrong, the dresses looked beautiful on the mannequins, but they just didn't work on me.

Tara looked down at her watch and sighed. "Hey, are you hungry? We have been here awhile. I can go get us something to eat."

"Sure." I smiled before I turned to look at Nancy who was sitting behind the counter. It didn't look like she had anything to eat either and I wouldn't spend my time in here and eat in front of her. "Nancy, would you like something to eat as well?"

She turned her head to look at me and smiled softly. "Oh, don't worry about an old lady like me."

"No, it's really no problem, ma'am." I promised.

"Well, if you're sure."

I smiled and got into my purse. I handed Tara some money and watched her bustle out the door with a wave and saying she would be back soon. With that I went over to the one rack and looked at the dresses I had already looked at before.

"Sookie dear?" Nancy called.

I turned around and walked over to the counter. "Yes?"

"I have something I would like you to try on. If you are okay with it. The dresses you have tried on just didn't seem right for you." Nancy stood slowly and moved off to the back, behind a curtain and I followed. "I have been making this one dress for a while now and I just finished it today actually, right before you came in. I was going to wait to put it out, but I think it would be beautiful on you."

"Alright." I nodded and followed her further.

We came to the far back and I looked up to see the most beautiful gown covering a lone mannequin. It looked beautiful. A deep red color ball gown. It had a halter top and silver decorative beading on the chest, leading into a curved Basque waist. The skirt of the dress was fabulous poofy with a few layers of ruffled see through fabric covering the long skirt.

"It's a halter top, open back, red wine ball gown with rhinestones and gems on the torso of the dress. I think this one will look perfect on you." I nodded and stepped closer to look.

The fabric looked soft and as I touched it, I smiled. It was indeed soft and even more beautiful up close. "I love it." I promised. "Can I try it on?"

"Of course you can."

Nancy helped me get it off and then I went behind a curtain to try it on. To my surprise it fit me perfectly and from what I could see, it looked good against my skin as well. The red color was perfect for my complexion. I stepped out and watched Nancy put her hand to her mouth and smile.

"You look gorgeous." Nancy said.

"Thank you!" I gushed as I saw myself in the mirror. I did look good.

I spent a few more moments in the dress before I pulled it off and returned to my normal clothes. I walked to the front with her and put it on the counter. I asked her the price and at first she said that I should just take it, but I couldn't do that to her. I wanted to pay for the dress and secretly, I wanted to help her out. She didn't have much money from what I got from her mind. I paid two hundred dollars for the dress and I smiled happily when she took the little bonus I added to sneak it in. She gave me a look my Gran would have even been proud of before she rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Sookie, can I see your palm?" Nancy asked after we chitchatted for a few minutes. "I'm a palm reader, fortune teller if you will."

"Uh, sure." I held out my hand and she turned it over, palm up.

Her fingers ran over the lines that were there and I watched closely. Her brows furrowed and I tried to listen in on her mind, but there was a slight barrier now. My brows furrowed, following hers. I could still hear her mind, but it was in another language now. It sounded…French?

"I could tell you were different." She whispered and I gasped slightly. She knew about my mind-reading? "I could tell there was just something. You seem like a very nice woman and I wanted to share my own secret with you. I have never told anyone."

I swallowed slightly. "You can tell me. I promise."

"I'm a witch among being a fortune teller." She said slowly.

I stared at her for a few moments. "But the witches…pushed everyone into this dimension."

"I was a descendant from a witch that turned her back on her coven the day that the Supernaturals were forced into this world. She came in along with the Supernaturals because the coven looked at her like an outcast. Rachel was her name and she was one of the most powerful witches that there was." Nancy sighed. "Rachel loved a vampire at the time and wouldn't stand by her coven. They abandoned her."

"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered.

"Because I have went all my life keeping that secret hidden and you seemed like the perfect person to tell it to. Not all witches are bad. I just didn't want to carry such a large burden alone anymore. At my age, I could die at any moment."

I gulped, feeling bad for the elderly woman who looked sad before me. "I will keep your secret, Nancy. I-I'm glad you told me."

She touched my palm again and looked back down. Her brows fell lower in confusion, I would guess as she traced over a line.

"Hmm." She said softly.

"What?" I asked in curiosity as I too looked closer.

"You are going to have quite the journey ahead of you, Sookie." She told me.

"Is that a good journey or a bad one?" I asked.

Nancy looked up at me with hardly any emotion on her face at all. "It all depends on how you look at it. Good for some, bad for others. It's a journey, destiny if you will. Everyone has journeys in life." Her face looked sat now. "I'm just saying that your journey is…"

"I'm back!" Tara came through. Whatever Nancy was saying was long forgotten as she let go of my hand. It didn't seem like she would tell me anytime soon and when I tried to look into her mind, she was thinking in another language. I sighed, it didn't look I would know anything more than that.

After we ate, Tara and I said our goodbyes. I didn't want Tara to see the dress until tonight and she was okay with that. So once Nancy had it bagged up and handed it to me we turned to leave the store. As I got to the door, I stopped and turned around.

"It was nice to meet you, Nancy. I hope to see you again at some point." I smiled and waved before I left the store completely.

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><p><strong>Nancy's POV:<strong>

"That poor, poor girl." I whispered before sitting down again.

Sookie was such a nice girl and very proper. She had manners, which wasn't seen much anymore among the humans in this world. Sookie Stackhouse seemed different and that is because she _was _different. She was more important than anyone could ever know. Her palm told me so.

"Sookie, I just wish I could have told you that your journey could lead to sudden and early death. It is there, in the lines, but there is also another path along the way. For you dear child, I hope you can take that path. I pray to God that you get to go down that path, but it all depends on you; depends on _him_. For you are the _One_." I whispered to the wind.

Getting up from the chair, I turned the sign on the door to 'closed'. "You promised to keep my secret and I will promise to keep yours, Sookie…because if anyone knew…" I shuttered at the thought. "Good luck."


	8. Masquerade

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear readers!

It has been far too long since I have updated this story!

This chapter is a doozy and therefore I didn't look over my grammar much at all, so forgive me if I made mistake and I am sure that there are mistakes in here. Lol. This came out to 16 pages long, damn. Lol. Still, it isn't my longest chapter ever, from any of my stories, but you get the point. Too much to look over in one sitting.

I wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful feedback and I will be trying to reply to each review this time. I have become lazy on that, since I have so many stories now, but I am getting back in my groove and doing better. So, without any further talking by me, here is the chapter.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

Read and review, because you love me. :D

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>Getting back into town was much harder than leaving. Some people were actually coming from other towns for this event. I stifled a groan when a car full of five women and possibly one hanging on the trunk of the car went zooming past us to effectively cut us off just by a few inches.<p>

"They are animals!" I yelled and Tara laughed.

"Well, if you had the chance to become the King's pet, what would you do? If you are into that sort of stuff anyway." She asked, pulling the car up to park in front of the bar when we finally made it around the crazy women and a few other cars in front.

"Obviously I am not that into it then. They could have sideswiped our car, taking us down over that very long and rocky ledge right there!" I pointed to my right, looking out the window.

"So, you are saying you're into the whole vampire pet thing…at least slightly?" Tara cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Uh, not…not really. I mean what would be the point anyway?"

"Very good sex on your part and beautiful gifts from the King himself; plus protection from anything. It isn't needed as much as it was before, but there are still instances where protection could be handy."

"What do you mean? Protection may be needed?"

"Well, there are vampire haters here. Not many, most of them just disappear if you understand what I am saying." She winked to me. "I don't hate vampires, but I don't particularly like most of them. I could see what those women would want though. In all aspects, people just want love, or some form of it at least."

"Do you have love?" I asked hesitantly. We never talked about relationships.

"Not particularly. I just don't need a man to show me love I guess, but we all do look for love in some form as I said before." I was confused and she noticed. "I get all the love I need from my friends and family. When sexual frustrations come, I find a way to release…"

"Whoa, Tara! Don't really want to talk about that." I laughed, waving my hands in front of my face.

Tara joined in. "Alright Sookie."

Getting out of the car, we moved toward the front door to the bar. Tara opened it for me, since my hands were full with a giant dress that weighted a lot right now. I had to swerve so I didn't hit the waitresses that were bustling to their tables. I also had to watch out for patrons that seemed to stand up just when I went to past them.

My head began to hurt and I put my barriers up tighter. There were so many people in today. I looked at Sam, who seemed stressed but happy with the people that were in the bar. He was having a busy day, but that just meant more money for the bar. I smiled and waved the best I could, lifting my hand up from under the bagged dress.

He waved back and came out from around the bar. He held out his hand for the dress and I smiled gratefully toward him. He pulled it up; making sure none touched the ground before moving toward the back. I followed of course, walking up the stairs that would lead to his apartment just on the top floor. Tara was right behind Sam, pulling her bag of hair supply things along with her. When I say pulling, that is exactly what I mean. The bag was so heavy that she couldn't carry it. I shivered from what all was going to be put in my hair, but I knew she was good so I trusted her.

"Do I get to see it?" Sam asked, putting his hands on his hips after he placed the dress across the cushions of the couch.

"No!" Tara yipped. "It has to be a surprise. She will look wonderful!"

I blushed, rubbing my hands together. I looked around and noticed a bag of what looked like red on the desk off to the side. I picked it up and lifted my eyebrow as I looked at Tara.

"Oh! I was going to wait to show those to you, but since you found them…" She grinned and grabbed the bag. Putting her hand into it, she pulled out what looked like to be a very small rose. "These are going in your hair. I didn't see the dress, I promise, but I noticed the color through the bag. When we were heading to the car and when I told you to go on ahead, I went to the flower shop and got these! They aren't real, I wish I could have gotten real ones, but these look beautiful as well."

I smiled and held the small silk flower in the palm of my hand. It indeed looked beautiful and surprisingly they would match my dress.

"It will look wonderful." I smiled.

"Since your hair is so long, we can put quite a few in there." She grinned once again.

My hair was down to the middle of my back now. I hadn't had time to get the ends trimmed, even in my own world. I had been so busy with everything that it just didn't cross my mind. I was sort of glad that I had forgotten, because it was so long and beautiful and full. This was the longest that it has been since I was little.

I nodded to Tara as Sam opened his mouth. "You ladies think you could give me a hand downstairs for an hour? We still got a few hours until the masquerade."

Tara and I looked at each other before nodding. "Of course we can, Sam." I smiled and followed him down the way we came.

I took quite a few orders, but mostly from men that were working on getting everything set up. The women in the bar were just sitting there, drinking water mostly. I guess they wanted to fit into their dresses when they needed to put them on. Which brought another question into my mind, which would not be answered. Where were they all going to dress? Seemed pretty oblivious to me, since some of these women did not come from here. Maybe they knew people in town.

_Okay, Sookie…getting off subject. _

"What would you like to order?" I asked the two men sitting in the booth.

They both were looking at their menus when I asked and I waited impatiently for them to finish. I had to make my rounds again. They were both working to put together the masquerade, you could tell by their sweaty muscular bodies. All in all, they both weren't bad to look at. The one had shorter dark brown hair with a slight beard and the other had a bald head and was very tall, more muscular than the other male.

"Excuse me." I smiled. "Did you need more time?"

"No, miss we don't." The one guy with short dark brown hair looked up at me and smiled. "We gotta get back soon. Quinn, you ready?"

"Yeah." He looked up at me and I noticed his eyes instantly. They were purple, very uncommon. It leads me to believe that he was not just a human. I opened my barriers just a bit and listened in. They both had snarly red thoughts. So they both weren't human, but…Weres of some kind.

I had come across a Were just a few nights ago, can't remember his name for the life of me, but his mind was much the same as these two men. They were slightly different than shifters. Shifter minds, like Sam, had a red haze over theirs as well, but it was a lighter color. These thoughts, these minds were in crimson.

I took their orders without thinking much, just listening in to their brains work. I was fascinated, still was after a few weeks of being here. It is so weird how different minds are of these supernaturals. They both thought I was beautiful, the men sitting before me did. It as a nice change, usually I would hear sick and naughty thoughts right off the bat. I nodded to them and turned on my heel to put in their orders.

After I made my rounds again, I went to get a glass of water. I slumped next to the bar and felt Tara move up beside me. I nodded to show that I knew she was there and took a giant gulp of water.

"Those guys are still eyeing you." She said softly.

"Yeah, I know. I've seen." I smiled just a bit.

"The bald one is Quinn and the other is Alcide Herveaux. Both Weres. One is a tiger, the other is a wolf."

"Whoa, a tiger?" I asked, turning around and sitting on the seat. "Seriously?"

"A Bengal tiger." She nodded. "They work for the King."

"Which one is the tiger?" I asked.

"You got something for tigers?" Tara wiggled her eyebrows.

I slapped her arm playfully. "No, I just find that fascinating."

"There aren't many Were Tigers left and _Quinn_ is the lovely tiger, by the way."

"He has pretty eyes." I found myself saying.

"You, my dear Sookie, need to get laid." Tara laughed.

I choked on my water, spewing it out onto the bar. Sam came over and patted my back with his hand and I nodded when I could breathe again. I grabbed some napkins from the dispenser before cleaning up my mess that I had made.

I was a virgin and what she said totally caught me off guard. I blushed scarlet and hid my face in my hands. That was embarrassing.

"Relax; it's time to go get ready. It's going to take a while to get us both done." Tara grabbed my hand, patted Sam on the shoulder and we were off.

After heading up the stairs, Tara ushered me into the shower to get cleaned up. When I hopped out, I was almost immediately thrown in a chair. Tara giggled as she set up all her equipment and I waited patiently of course. Or I tried to at least. I was just a bit intimidated by how many things she had.

It took a long time to get ready, I wasn't expecting it. By the time that I was done, my butt had fallen asleep. I sighed heavily and stood up, hobbling to the mirror. My wavy hair had gone up a notch and I had a million loose curls hanging down my back with red flowers that seemed to just flow down my hair. A little bit of my top hair was pulled back in a tiny clip, then flowing down with the rest of my hair. I had some bangs as well, off to the side of my face. I smiled, looking over my makeup that Tara had done. It wasn't heavy at all, but I did have smoky eyes. It highlighted my eyes, making them pop out and sparkle. I also had rouge lips, matching the dress.

Speaking of the dress, I turned around and stepped into said dress as Tara pulled it from the bag. Throwing the robe I was wearing on the couch as I did so. Tara zipped the back and there I stood, looking better than I could have possibly imagined.

I didn't think of getting a mask, but Tara must have. I looked down noticing something fell from the dress as Tara pulled it out. I picked up a mask that must have been in with the bag.

"I thought you didn't look at the dress?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't!" Tara bent over and picked up something else.

It was a piece of paper and I turned it in my hands. There were words written on the other side.

_I thought you would need a mask to go with the dress. –Nancy_

"She is such a nice old lady." I whispered. "Nancy, I mean."

"Yeah, she was nice." Tara smiled. "I love the mask as well."

"More red." I giggled.

"Oh look though. There is black on it." Her smile rose higher and I joined in.

The mask itself was red, but was covered in black lace. Frilly lace that stood up higher; surrounded the mask on the edges and covering the red of the mask was even more beautiful lace that if you look closely small flowers could be made out. On the left side of the mask there was bunched up black lace, with a black rose on the side. A few strings hung down, spiraling as they did so. It screamed mystery and that is what I was. To everyone here, I was a mystery. That was perfectly fine with me, because I would remain that way for quite a long time.

Which brought up another question and one that I should address more often. Why am I not even trying to find a way home? I did miss Jason and he was probably sick with worry over where I went. It wasn't like I wasn't thinking about it, but every time I did; I knew that I didn't want to leave here. I had made so many friends, more so than I had in Louisiana. That in itself laid another question. The Black Hole was eating this world away and one day that hole would fall upon the town I was living in. Did I really want to die here?

I shook my head when I noticed that Tara had finished getting ready. Her dress was beautiful and she had made her hair really straight for tonight. It fell down her back beautifully. I smiled and nodded.

"You look amazing." I told her.

"Thank you!" She gushed. "Can you hand me my mask?"

I went over to the table and grabbed her mask off the top. It was a simple purple mask, with white lace covering the top. It would match the white in her purple dress. It was beautiful and simple, much like her style was.

"Are you ready to head out? It should be starting now. We are running just a bit behind." She said as she grabbed her bag from the table, trading it for a little handbag clutch, which was also white.

I nodded my acceptance and followed her down the stairs where we were assaulted with camera flashes from Sam who was also dressed in a very nice tux. He seemed shocked to see me, and so did the other people in the bar.

Everything was quiet when I stepped out as they all had their eyes on me. It was uncomfortable because I was not used to such attention.

"You look beautiful." Sam said. His voice was slightly hitched as he looked me over.

I smiled. "You look good yourself."

"Can I escort you ladies for a little?" He asked, putting his arms out for Tara and I. We both smiled and attached our arms to his and moved through the bar.

Most of the ladies had left and when I went outside I understood why. They were all dressed in their outfits, heading to where the masquerade would be held. Some of the dresses were over the top and also in colors that I would not have expected. Yellow, Green, Orange, seemed different to me, but the women pulled them off.

I noticed that not many wore red, but there was some. Much like Dawn who was standing in the corner powdering her nose. Instead of the traditional ball gown, Dawn had gone with a much sleeker dress. She wanted to be different from every other woman and she had succeeded. I wondered if King Eric would look at her more than the rest. She seemed to stand out in her blood colored dress that was too low cut around her breasts, too tight against her hips. If she was going for a certain look, she had achieved and I wouldn't say that was a good thing; in my opinion at least.

Sam tugged on my arm and I turned away from the eye sore that was Dawn and moved along with them. I had no idea where we were heading, because I didn't ask where it would be held. I was guessing it would be at King Eric's castle, but I didn't know where that was either.

We turned down an alley and I got a sick memory from just a few weeks ago. Images of Brock, nearly draining me dry assaulted my mind and I wanted to turn back, but I couldn't. We were heading in that direction where it happened, where I was laying on the ground. It would be suspicious if I just turned around and went home now. I couldn't do that. I was supposed to be Glamoured with no memory of what happened. So as much as I didn't want to continue down the path and by the lake, I did just that; holding onto Sam's arm just a bit tighter as I did so.

That building I saw in the distance that night, must have been Eric's castle. I wonder why I never thought that it could be. I had no idea where it was located, so that probably factored in. Sam ushered Tara and I through the crowd of people that were walking in the direction to the castle, making sure we didn't get bumped from women who seemed very eager to get to their destination.

To my utter surprise, there was more than just a masquerade going on tonight. It seemed like a festival of sorts as we kept moving forward. Tents upon tents lined the thinning trees, in areas that seemed carved out to house the tents themselves. There was a bunch of different things such as games, art gallery tents, food tents, alcohol tents and even a blood tent.

That last one caught my eye more, because there wasn't just synthetic blood vampires could buy. Donors were sitting in chairs inside the tent and I watched as vampires seemed to sample each as if they were doing a wine testing.

Sam gave me a look and I shook out of watching the vampires feed. We kept moving forward. There were also dancers here as well, in their own little area with music playing. Erotic kind of dancing, something I wasn't used to watching. Some supernaturals and even humans were into that sort of thing, more males than females, but there was a few women onlookers as well.

"Do you ladies want a drink?" Sam asked; putting his hands on our backs and helping us sit. There was a place for people to sit and talk, or eat and whatnot. We both nodded to Sam and gave him our orders and he hurried over to the table.

I looked around the area we were sitting in and then down the path where the tents were lined. It was lit brightly, even though it was dark outside. Twinkling lights were strung in the trees, crisscrossing overtop of the pathway to bring light down upon the path as well. I smiled as I watched the commotion going around. It was a beautiful sight and one that I was not used to watching. Everyone had smiles on their faces as they moved through the festival. It seemed like a perfect night for fun, for all ages.

I watched as this little girl danced by herself, away from the adult section of dancing women and men in erotic ways. That was lined off, so the children didn't have to be subjected to seeing that. It could have been hidden just a bit more in my opinion, but the families stayed away from those and in more of a child friendly section. The little girl was in a pink dress, holding what looked to be an ice-cream cone. A big smile adorned her face and it made me smile along with her.

"You having fun?" Tara asked as she leaned over the table.

"Oh yes. This is so beautiful!" I said back.

"See? It's not all bad." She grinned. "There are vampire guards placed around, but you can hardly see them. Look, there's one." Tara pointed to the right.

I squinted to see a person barely visible in the trees, but he was there dressed in a nice black tux. There were a few more around that I caught a glimpse of, but Tara was right, they were well hidden. They needed guards because of some vampires not following the rules of not feeding on humans unless they were willing. I knew that all too well, but King Eric had saved my life. Little does he know that I owe him a lot.

Sam rushed back with our drinks and I sipped on mine slowly. I did not want to get drunk tonight. I act crazy when I'm drunk. Tara on the other hand seemed to enjoy her drink quickly. I shook my head, giggling to myself that she would have one major hangover when she woke up in the morning.

We walked around each tent after that, sampling different things as we did so. Sam had to head back to his own tent, the alcohol tent of course. Tara and I were on our own, but we were having so much fun. We stood in the art tent and looked at a collection of different paintings. One caught my eye though and I could not take my eyes off of it.

There was a woman standing outside of the Black Hole. Her arms were held up; out in front of her with a light of some sort coming from each hand, blood was falling from each arm, circling her arms in crimson. The light was shining through the black hole, creating a gaping hole in the center of it where light seemed to overpower the darkness which it was. There was also another form in the painting, of a strongly built man in the distance. I didn't know what the meaning of that was, but it was a beautiful sight. What caught me more off guard was that the woman had long wavy blond hair much like my own. You could not see her face, this woman, but I noticed something else. In the pocket of the woman's jeans, there was some sort of paper sticking out. It reminded me of the paper that my Gran had written her letter to me on. The one that answers and riddles seemed to pop up out of nowhere. If you looked closely, there were words on the paper, but it wasn't all distinguishable. Some of the words were much too small, but I got the words 'You are special' out of it.

It reminded me of something, words that I had seen before, but I couldn't think further into it when a woman's voice came up behind me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I jumped and looked over my shoulder at the woman who had spoken.

Darker blond hair was what first caught my eyes and then her beautiful light pink dress was the second. I knew this woman, because she was there the night Brock had nearly killed me. I stood gaping at her for just a moment before I realized that I needed to act normal and like I didn't know who she was. When in reality, I knew her name and that she had killed Brock. Pam was her name.

"Yes, it is marvelous." I nodded, turning back to the painting.

Pam had stepped closer to me, admiring the image that was now before us both. I gulped slightly, but dared not to take my eyes off of the painting to get a glimpse of what she was doing.

"A woman painted this. A woman who was supposedly a Seer. It had been passed down for quite a few years." Pam spoke. "We put this painting out here for everyone to see every year in hopes that this comes true in some shape or form."

"What comes true?" I couldn't help but ask.

She remained silent for a few moments. "That the Fairy of the legend comes and breaks the curse of the Black Hole. This wasn't the fully done picture, of course. You can't do a timeline through a painting like this. What is in this image is only the first step our world will have to deal with. The Seer who painted this art said as such." Pam turned to me and met my gaze. "The first step will be done with the light of the Fae. It is what you see coming from her palms. The second part is more horrendous for the poor little fairy. The Seer spoke that the Fairy would die in the process of the second step. She didn't say why or how, but there was an object that a certain Vampire needed to obtain to get us back to the realm we all know as earth."

I nodded, not sure what to say after she had quieted. We stood there for a good few minutes eyeing the painting because I simply could not walk away. That would be crazy of me to do so after she spoke of everyone's future. I shuffled on my feet and waited for a few long agonizing seconds.

"You know what is funny?" Pam asked, turning back to look at me. She didn't wait for me to answer. "You seem to have the same feminine structure as the woman on the painting and the hair." Pam smiled and giggled, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. It was like she didn't know how to do such a thing. "That is such a funny coincidence, huh?"

I giggled and it was forced because I was definitely on edge of where this could possibly lead. I had no idea what was going on. I wasn't a fairy and I certainly couldn't make light come out of my hands. I turned back to the painting and pointed at the woman's behind. "She has a much bigger ass than I do."

Pam's eyes widened slightly before a more relaxed smile grazed her features. "I seem to like you, breather. I did not expect a lady such as yourself to have a dirty mouth. It is enjoyable at times to see women like that."

I gulped. "Thank you for that compliment."

"You are welcome." And without any more words, she turned and walked away.

I took a deep breath in relief that nothing had gone wrong. I looked around for Tara and saw that she was looking at another painting. After going up next to her, we walked out of the tent and away from the painting that I just had a very weird conversation in front of.

"Are you ready to see the castle?" Tara asked as we moved up marble steps to the giant wooden doors that were open.

"Yes, I'm excited to see it." I smiled and moved forward.

When we reached the top, I had to take a moment to just look around me. It seemed like a ball out of a fairytale book with the way it was decorated. There was a red plush carpet leading into the magnificent room with a huge staircase at the other side. It is what seemed like the focal point of the room. The arms of the stairway looked to be gold, much like the rest of the room itself; marble and gold everywhere. Red curtains were seen on the second story balconies that surrounded the room. People stood everywhere, talking among each other as they did so. Tall candle holders were placed in different parts of the room, with what looked like a million long white candles on each. I looked up to notice a giant glass crystal and golden chandelier hanging over top; lighting the room. Because of the lights on the chandler, the crystals that were hanging down sparkled brightly, sending small flecks of light around the room.

I looked at the staircase again, noticing as it got to the first landing it broke off into two other smaller staircases. The first landing held a statue of a man, holding a sword to the ground in a powerful stance. Just above the statue there was another balcony placed slightly further out and sitting there on a throne of gold was King Eric. He wore no crown, much to my disappointment. I just always thought he would, but he didn't need it. He screamed power above others.

I could barely see his outfit, but I knew he looked spectacular. What I could see was that he was wearing a tuxedo much like the other men, but he seemed to wear it better than the rest. His long hair was in a ponytail once again, thrown over right shoulder and hanging down. What I liked most about his hair was that a few shorter strands in the front were loose and falling against his face. The undershirt he was wearing seemed to be a deep red color and in the pocket off to the side was a handkerchief, which also looked to be red. He wore no tie and it looked like his jacket was open.

As I watched, his blue eyes seemed to scan the audience and I turned my head when he looked in my direction. When I thought it was safe again, I looked back up to see him leaning forward slightly. He was turning something in his hand and as I looked closer, light shinned off of it. It was a sword, possibly the one from the legend that Sam's great-grandfather had talked about. The one where he pushed it deep into the ground when talking to the witches.

Just when I thought I was alright with looking, King Eric's eyes moved away from the sword he was twisting in his hand and down to look directly at me. I knew I should have turned my gaze away, but I simply couldn't. I was wearing my mask, so I was sure he didn't really know who I was or maybe that is what I hoped. Eric did not have any emotion on his face, but stared at me somberly, cocking his head slightly to the side when I did so.

After a few more moments of gazing up at him, I felt a hand at my shoulder. I turned around and smiled at Sam who had put his mask on as well. His mask matched his undershirt, much like everyone else here at the ball. His undershirt was a blue color and so his mask was the same shade. I grinned at him as he held out his hand for me.

The music began to play and Sam swept me off my feet in a dance that I had never done before. I looked down at our feet to learn the moves real fast. I was always a quick learner and I could dance so it wasn't that hard to do so. Once I got the hang of it, we were turning and smiling at one another as the song played through.

Tara had started to dance with Lafayette and she seemed to be having just as much fun as I was. I had not seen Dawn, but I was guessing she was trying to get up to see Eric as much as the other women were. Not all women were dancing, most of them had formed a line on the stairway to greet the King and hope that he picks them to be his pet.

I, on the other hand wouldn't stand in a line. Not that I didn't like Eric, because he certainly was easy on the eyes, but it was a mad house with the women standing there. I also didn't want to just throw myself at him either, I am not as crazy as those women are. I never particularly thought of myself being a pet to any vampire, it just wasn't how I was going to go about things. Would I do it? Maybe, if it was something that I could think on. If I happened to like the vampire and to be honest, I don't know many of them at all.

So with the questions that boggled my mind, I just didn't know what I would do if I was asked, which I doubted I would be. I was nothing special at all. It would have to be a certain vampire, if any really and I doubted I would become one because I was not standing in that god forsaken line that the crazy women had started anyway. Tara told me that King Eric had never danced at one of these masquerades. He stays up in the balcony and watches everyone else.

It didn't matter! I had to scold myself. I was having a good time, wasn't I? I was dancing with Sam and I was being myself. I was having fun. That is what this night was about, having fun. Not worrying that King Eric of my dreams wouldn't notice me. I smiled at Sam as he twisted me away and I spun to the middle of the dance floor.

I opened my eyes when I came to a stop and was about to turn around when I noticed that the room had gone utterly silent, even the music had stopped being played. My view was now on the crazy women who stood on the stairs. Most of them looked upset, very upset while others looked incredibly shocked at something, but what?

It was now that I noticed all eyes were on _me_ and kept moving away to something or someone that was standing behind me. My heart beat faster in my chest as I looked up at King Eric's throne to notice that it was in fact…_empty_.

"Can I have this dance?" A strong, smooth voice asked from behind me.

I could only guess at who it was, but I was betting that my guess was spot on. There were too many signs that gave it away. The empty throne, the crazy women that were looking like they wished they could kill me, to everyone else being so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Carefully and I mean very carefully I turned around on my heels and looked up to see Eric standing before me. He too had a mask on, but there was no hidden mystery to who he was. If you didn't know who he was then you had to be an idiot. His mask was simple, a gold color much like his sword was that hung to his side now. The few strands of hair that was in front of his face before was still there and I couldn't believe I noticed that right now.

I didn't know what to say. It wasn't like I could literally turn him down with all the people in the room looking at me right? I think there would be a massive outbreak if I did and I would end up dead or gutted somewhere in a ditch. Or drained dry, depending on what kind of species they are.

I put out my hand and Eric pulled me closer to his body. I gulped as he slipped his other hand-agonizingly slow-around my waist and pulled me just a bit closer. I was slightly nervous as anyone could tell and I really didn't like anyone staring at me. That is the predicament I was in. Through this whole dance, I would be wrapped in Eric's arms, with every one gazing down on me. I really hoped that I would not trip. Most of the crazy women would like that too much.

I took it easy as I waited for him to do something, _anything_. I didn't know if I should look directly in his eyes, or keep them down because he was definitely higher than me on the ranking position. I was a little bug compared to him. I chose to keep them down, staring at his chest. It wasn't that difficult, he was taller than me anyhow.

The music started again and Eric took a step forward and I took a step back. We began out dance and I tuned everyone else out. Everyone's thoughts were bearing down on my barrier and I had to focus to keep them up. I really didn't want to hear threats from people at all. As we spun, my eyes caught sight of Dawn finally to see that she looked even more pissed off than all the other women combined. It was a look that could scare the devil himself. She was wrong, wasn't she? She thought that Eric's eyes would never fall to me, because I was nothing in her opinion at least. I guess that must suck for her, seeing that I was dancing with him and she wasn't.

Eric had never danced at one of his masquerades before, so I must be something to catch his eye, but the little fact that I knew I was nothing special reared its ugly head and I had to stomp it down before it overwhelmed me to the point that I would have to excuse myself and leave.

I always thought of what it would have been like to be with King Eric from the story my Gran had read to me years ago. I even fantasized about it, but now that I am actually here it's different. After I heard all of the stories that King Eric would fall in love with a fairy-even if he didn't believe it himself-bothered me to no end. I guess I gave up my fantasies fully and finally when I found that out, because I am not a supernatural. I am just a human with mind reading abilities. Here I was though, dancing with the vampire of that haunted my dreams in more ways than one. Some of them too dirty for me even to say aloud.

The point of my musing is why would I be here, dancing with Eric if he had a future with someone else? Even if that might end badly for the fairy of the legend; even for Eric if he did fall in love with the Fae. I guess I really had no answer, but I was happy for now, knowing that I was getting to have one of my many fantasies at this moment.

"You can look at me, you know." Eric whispered as he turned us in a circle.

"I-I'm sorry, your majesty." I looked up into his blue eyes and felt like I've known him my whole life. It was not just from me fantasizing about him for years, no, it seemed much more than that. There was a connection that was just there between us, but could he feel that as well? There was no indication in his eyes that he noticed such a thing.

"What is your name?" Eric asked, pulling me ever so tightly to his body.

I was about to say something that would have taken my head off, figuratively speaking. I was supposed to be glamoured and if I said that then it would have proved that it didn't work when he tried. I was supposed to keep my mind-reading ability, where I came from and now that I couldn't be glamoured a secret. I added the last one on that list myself; I didn't tell Sam that glamouring didn't work on me.

"Sookie Stackhouse." I answered with a blush.

"That is a nice name." He commented offhand as he twirled me around before gripping my sides. "Tell me, Sookie, where do you come from?"

"Småstad." I answered automatically.

"Yes, I saw you with the shifter, but you couldn't have grown up in the town. I have not seen you there before."

He was talking about Sam being the shifter. Okay, I got that. Now was the really hard part, because I did not even come from this whole realm! What was that small village that Sam's grandfather lived in? The one that doesn't like vampires…crap-crap-crap!

"Dashguard." I answered finally remembering the town sign that I saw. It was poorly done, but that is what it was.

"You come from a town that hates how I rule this kingdom." It was a statement, not a question.

"Uh, yes, but I'm not like that. I moved here because I didn't have the same views as they did." I told him.

"What are your views then? On vampires I mean." I watched as Eric raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I think there are a bunch of different kinds of vampires."

"Oh?"

"Yes. In a way, there are good vampires and then there are bad. Some try to make life what they want and there are some that just want to watch the world burn to the ground so to speak. I have seen good vampires, that go about their life in a fairly normal way and then I have seen ones that want to just drain someone dry." I added that last bit as a somewhat jab. "You can't just sum up everyone into a category and be done with it, because no one is exactly the same. I don't believe any species should be treated as such."

Eric didn't speak for a few moments and I wondered if I had said something wrong. "Wise words, Sookie. That is very good to hear because I have a question I would like to ask you."

"And what would that be, your majesty?" I asked as we spun again. The music was coming to an end and as I looked around the room, people had gone back to doing what they were doing to begin with. I could have sighed in relief.

"I wanted to ask if you would like to be my pet." Eric whispered, leaning down to brush his nose against my hair. It sent shivers up my spine from the act.

"You…want me?" I asked, dumbly I might add.

Eric grinned, for the first time since we started this dance. It was a sly grin, one that would have made the devil proud, but it wasn't an evil sort of grin, but full of mischief.

"I want you…in more ways than one, if I may be so bold, Sookie Stackhouse." Eric said softly and I could barely make out the tips of fangs poking out of his lips, but they did not scare me like Brocks did. They intrigued me.

I blushed heavily though, noticing now that I said something that could be taken in so many ways and not all of them appropriate. "I…uh..."

Eric waited patiently for me to answer his question, but it took me quite a long time to come up with any form of an answer. I was shocked, most of all. I had no idea what the first thing was to being a vampire's pet, especially the King of this realm.

"Can I have a day to think it over?" I asked.

Eric seemed shocked by this question and therefore stopped the dance for a moment before picking back up. He looked down at me to see if I was serious, which I was. I think he noticed that because his brows furrowed slightly. He turned us into a direction that led outside onto another balcony. Eyes followed us, but no one came after us. I was slightly nervous as he led me to the side, where we could see another lake, just behind the castle. It was a beautiful night, and this was a beautiful landscape, but I couldn't look at it.

"You need time to think it over?" He asked, obviously confused. I would guess that he was never asked that question before. Then, when I thought he would become angry, a smaller smile was playing on his lip, lifting at the left side. It wasn't so much that anyone would notice around us, but I did. It was softer. "You are different it seems, from any other woman that I could have asked tonight. Do you know, if I did ask someone else, they would already be with me, in my bed?"

I gulped. "I-I'm not that kind of girl to just use someone for my own benefits, your majesty."

Eric leaned over, running his nose down my neckline. I shivered slightly, feeling goosebumps begin to rise. He began to speak and with every whisper, his lips would connect with my skin. "I know you are not the kind of woman to just go into someone's bed either." He spoke. "You are still pure and that leads me to believe what you have said is true, but not every pet just wants sex, Sookie. They like money, gifts, anything I could possibly give them and yet, here you stand asking if you could have time to think about it." He chuckled slightly, pulling back away from me. "What do you want from this? If you agree that is."

That question caught me off guard. "I-I'm not really sure what you mean."

"If you became my pet, then I would be the only one that will feed from you. The only one that could be with you romantically. You don't seem ready to just throw your purity away, and I will not take it from you by force, even if you did become my pet. Is what you want the gifts?"

"No." I said honestly. "I really don't need gifts. I'm not the kind of girl that demands them."

"Then what could I give you?" He leaned against the side of the railing, looking at me carefully.

"I don't know." I answered honestly.

"This is the most intriguing conversation I have had in a very long time." Eric said. "If not gifts and not the satisfaction of knowing that you belong to the king as a pet, then what could I give you?"

I smiled slightly. "I guess we should address why you want me so bad first."

Eric's eyebrows rose slowly and I scolded myself that I was too comfortable, thinking I could joke along with him. It passed quickly.

"Do you really want to know why? My honest answer?"

I didn't know if that was good or bad. "Yes, I do."

Eric pushed himself away from the wall and moved around the balcony. "You are different and I can tell. Your blood smells sweeter than everyone else. You have a stance about you that is confident, yet shy at the same time. You are a virgin as well. It is not something that I see around here often, especially women that can't keep their eyes off of me." My mouth dropped and he grinned. "Yes, I saw you looking at me, but that is hardly the point. I want to taste you," He moved closer. "Ravish you," He spoke in my ear. "And keep doing that until I have my fill. It doesn't last forever. I grow tired of most of my pets very soon after I have picked them, but with you…it's almost as if I know that will be different. Almost as if you are different than any other woman."

His cheek was against mine and I breathed shallowly, feeling emotions that I had never felt before. It was all starting in my stomach, reminding me of butterflies. I felt a heat wave overtake my body as he put his hands on either side of my frame, holding himself just slightly away from my body, but I could feel sparks between us. I didn't want that to end, it was much too enjoyable for it to end.

"Sookie, I do not fall in love if that is what you are after. If it is, then we should just part ways now and I shall pick another woman even if it is not what I desire." He paused. "If not gifts, if not for physical aspects; then what could you possibly want that would take time for you to think over a simple answer? I would pay almost anything to have you, because this is the strongest urge I have ever had. I want to see where it goes. To understand why I seem to be so drawn to you."

"T-To get to know you." I said finally. Knowing that is exactly what I wanted. It was almost as if it wasn't me speaking the words, they just seemed to flow from my mouth. "I just want to get to know you. Understand you."

Eric closed his eyes for a moment, backing up just slightly. "To get to know me? That is not something that anyone has ever wanted to do, or even dared to say. Vampires usually hide their personal life." I gulped slightly and waited. "But to taste you, to understand why I want you so much…then I am willing for you to get to know me."

"What about…" I blushed and he knew what I was asking because he smirked.

"If you do not want to have sex, then as I have said before I will not make you. It would be a shame for me not to get to see what is under that dress," I blushed harder. "But I am agreeable and only when you decide you want to, if at all."

"So you just want my blood?" I asked, moving slightly.

"I am a vampire, Sookie." He chuckled. "Blood is what I drink to survive and your scent sings to me in a way. It would be a shame, if I didn't try it, if I didn't have it for myself. It is a majoring factor in why I want you so much, but it isn't all. I have just found out that you are different than most women and I find that refreshing. In a way, I want to get to know you as well." He paused and looked me over.

"Then, my answer is yes." I spoke softly, not needing time.

There was something in the back of my mind that told me I needed to do this. It didn't matter his reasons why he wanted me to be his pet, no, it was something else entirely. Something stronger that told me I wanted this, that I needed this.

"Sookie, know that if you do agree then there is no turning back. You cannot undo it. You will be my pet, until I grow bored. I am being totally honest with you and I hope you extend me the same courtesy."

"I know your being honest and my answer is still yes. I'm fascinated by you, for some unknown reason and that is the honest truth."

"Then we both seem to have something we both want from each other." He smiled. "The night is going to end very soon and as much as I would enjoy feeding from you, I don't think tonight is that night. We will go easy to begin with, seeing as you came from a town that hates vampires, I would guess you don't know much about us."

"No, your majesty. I don't know a lot." I nodded.

"Tomorrow night, I shall call for you. You should head back home now, dear Sookie." Eric came over, grabbing my hand in his and kissing the top of my hand. "Until tomorrow."

I turned and began to descend the stairs off to the side. There were still many people walking around, so I wasn't afraid to leave by myself and head back to my apartment. Just when I got down the stairs and was ready to turn the corner, I heard Eric's voice.

"Oh and Sookie?" He asked. I turned around to wait for him to speak. "Tomorrow we will get to know each other slightly and I would like to start with how you were able to resist my glamour."

I stood there froze for just a moment and watched him walk back into the castle.


	9. She's unknown

**Author's Notes:** Here we are my lovely readers!

Another chapter is done and you can all read it to your hearts' content. Some of you have asked for an Eric POV and well, you got it! ;) Some have also asked for a Pam POV and I plan on doing that in the next chapter…hopefully. Lol.

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! –hugs-

Oh! And sorry for the 3 updates I have just done for this chapter. *sigh* It was missing some parts. Forgive me. :P

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

"Okay…what the hell am I going to do?" I trudged down from the castle, making my way back through the festival.

People were still partying and they would for another hour. It was an all-night event so they would have fun until just a few minutes before the vampires would go down for the day.

I shook my head. How the hell could I be thinking of the party that is surrounding me, when Eric knew that I resisted his glamour? This could be catastrophic! He is going to ask me a million questions and ones that I sure as hell can't answer. What would I do if he asked where I really came from? If I told him that I came through the portal, well, I was sure as hell sure I wouldn't survive. I'm no fairy, but they don't know that. They will probably think I am the one that will help them get back to their own dimension. And let me tell you, I was sure that the fairy wouldn't live to make it back with them!

Eric seemed to calm when he told me about knowing that I can resist glamour. He said it so effortlessly. Does that mean he isn't mad? Is he just curious?

He didn't say anything about it until I agreed to be his pet! That sneaky vampire knew when to say the right words. He purposely chose to make sure I knew I couldn't back out until he spoke of it! Oh, God, what the hell am I going to do?

Before I knew it, I went flying forward. I tripped over a tree root that was sticking out of the ground. Clumsy Sookie was another name I used to be called and yeah, right now…I was clumsy. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact of doom, but it never came.

Carefully, I opened my one eye to see that I was inches away from the ground, but I was being held up. My brows furrowed in confusion and I turned my head to the side to see who saved me from eating dirt. I knew this vampire vaguely. He is one of the higher guards for King Eric. William Compton. He was the one holding me just a few inches above the dirty path below me.

Once he saw that I was looking at him, he helped me stand on my feet. I fixed my dress, before meeting his eyes.

"Thank you." I said kindly and gratefully, but really, I just wanted to go home.

"Not a problem, Sookie." He answered.

Whenever he came into the bar, I was the one stuck with him. I always got him his True Blood, so we knew each other's names, but not much after that. I wasn't stupid, so he wasn't learning anything more than my name from me.

"Do you need assistance home, Sookie?" He asked.

"Uh, no. I think I will do alright, but thank you for the offer." I said.

When I tried to move, God spited me again. The heel on my left shoe decided to snap at that moment. Bill was there to catch me again before I stumbled. I felt incredibly stupid.

"As long as you're sure your fine." He nodded. I could tell that he was quite unsure if he should release me or not. To be honest, I wasn't sure myself. I was afraid that the other heel would break as well.

"William." Another voice came from behind us and I closed my eyes. That voice was from someone I really didn't want to see right now. "I am kindly asking you to release my pet, before I break your arm off and see how long it takes to grow back. You are touching what is mine."

I could have snorted, but he was right. I said I was his pet until he gets tired of me. I had the right to be upset at least. He tricked me, but if I wanted to really point fingers, I should point at myself. I haven't been honest with anybody really. I sighed and shimmied away from Bill when his arm flew away from my body as if I had burned him.

"I am very sorry, your majesty. I did not know." Bill knelt on one knee and bent his head low. A sign of submission. Should I do that as well?

"Now you know." Eric said, moving from behind a tree to come closer.

He walked passed Bill who was still knelt before him and came next to me. Without notice, he grabbed my arm and pulled it closer to his face. I stood there confused as to what he was doing. I looked over to see that I had a scrape on my upper left arm.

"You're bleeding." Eric said casually.

"I-It's not bad. See?" I looked closer to see that it was just a minor cut, nothing to worry about, but Eric had not taken his eyes off of it. Slowly, a very thin trail of blood began to surface and then spill over my flesh. It wasn't much at all; a normal little cut that would bleed for two seconds and then stop. "I wonder how I got it." I chuckled nervously. Eric had not stopped looking at the cut yet.

A few moments passed before Eric seemed to realize I had spoken to him. His eyes flicked up to mine and they seemed different. The same blue eyes that nearly matched my own, but there was a spark behind those eyes. A fire that was lit.

"It probably happened when Bill was manhandling you." Eric sighed and I thought I caught a glimpse of Bill as he shivered. I could be wrong; I wasn't looking at him really.

"He made sure I didn't hit the ground." I had to give credit for Bill saving me from falling to the ground. "So, that's good at least."

"Leave, Bill and make sure none come this way." Eric commanded and all too quickly we stood alone together.

I was getting more nervous as he inspected the small cut. I wasn't nervous in the sense that I was afraid he would hurt me. Something in the back of mind told me he wouldn't do that, but it also said to be cautious. Eric still had a firm grasp on my arm and I wasn't going anywhere until he let me go.

"It seems like such a waste." Eric whispered.

"A waste?" I asked confused.

"Your blood smells even better. It is fresher, crisper as it trails in a thin line down your arm. A waste in the sense of letting it fall upon the ground." Eric's eyes flicked back to mine. "The cut could also get infected. That would be heavy on my conscience."

My heart was racing in my chest as he carefully leaned forward. Something inside of me told me to move back, protect my essence that was leaking from my flesh. I jerked without meaning to. All at once, my arm was free and Eric was looking at me questionably.

"I-I…I'm tired." I told him quickly.

Eric's brows furrowed slightly and we stood there for a good minute before he finally straightened back up and looked down upon me. He nodded once.

"I shall walk you home, to see that no one follows." Eric motioned for me to go.

I slipped off my heels and held them in my right hand and continued down the path, but this time I was not alone. I didn't know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut. Eric was very silent as well as we moved through the trees, breaking out into the open. We walked up to the gates and he followed me as we went back to my home.

I trudged up the stairs; feeling drained all of a sudden. All I wanted to do was collapse on my bed and sleep, but I was sure that would not happen at all. Eric walked up the steps as well and when we reached the top, he grabbed my hand before I could walk inside.

I could have blushed as his thumb rubbed over my knuckles. He pulled my hand up to his mouth and kissed it once, but he didn't let go. His eyes met mine once more and there was a look I had never seen a man give me before. Of course, I saw it all the time when men would look at other women, but never for me personally. It was lust and it was blazing in his eyes. A scarlet hue finally rose upon my cheeks and I had to look away. He dropped my hand and stared at me.

"I will see you tomorrow." It was a statement, not a question. I didn't have an option regardless if I wanted to back out. That was the thing though, although he tricked me, I still wanted to see him. To get to know him better. I wanted to know what kind of person he was. "We will talk about your resistance to glamour tomorrow as I have said."

"Yes, your majesty." I bowed, but he grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back up.

"You have no reason to bow to me. We are alone. It is not required of you." Eric smirked. "Do not fear me; I am merely curious of you."

"I wasn't fearing you." I told him, a slight attitude in my voice.

The smirk only grew wider. "Really? You seem pretty frightened to me."

"I'm not, nor will I ever be frightened of you, Eric." He raised an eyebrow as I made that known, but spoke nothing more about it. He was goading me, playing with me. I could tell that he was, but it was for his enjoyment, not mine.

"Then that is good. It is a step in the right direction." He said at last. "Until tomorrow, my dear Sookie."

I nodded and turned to my door. Once I was inside, I shut the door behind me and moved through the house. I had a feeling that I needed to check my Gran's letter. It was an urge I felt since I had talked to Eric and that is what I did. I moved through the room and grabbed the mostly blank pages and held them closely.

A few moments went by before words began to engrave into the paper.

_A key to your heart. Something that lies within needs to be guarded more strongly than you can ever imagine, child. For this is the key to your deepest desire, your truest wish. I ask of you to keep it hidden once I tell you everything, for it can determine your destiny. Yes, everyone has their own destiny and it is chosen for you if you want to believe such things or not. Only when you find love, _real love_, will this key open the doors to what you wish for. It isn't simple, Sookie. Love never is. _

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><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

Leaning against the doorway to my balcony, I looked out upon the grounds. I swirled the glass of blood in my hand once more, but I did not drink. The smell of this blood would not sate me and I did not need to taste it to know that it wouldn't. The smell of my new pet's blood was strong, powerful and it left me lusting for it, wanting it more than I did anything else.

I would not hurry such things on this girl. She was different, that much was clear, but I had not come up with a final answer as to why she was different. There were a lot of possibilities and ones that I thought more than others, but that was neither here nor there in the matter.

I longed to taste it. To take her blood on my pallet and savor the flavor of what I knew would be a piece of heaven. How could it not be? The scent of her blood drove many younger vampires to try to find the source. It was for that reason why I told Bill to make sure no vampire followed once I dismissed him.

I could not take her blood unwillingly. It is not the way that I chose to live anymore and the way she acted when I got closer to the small cut on her arm proved to me that she wasn't ready. This was definitely going to be a very long drawn out plan to understand her better. If I could not feed from her, if I could not fuck her, then what shall I do? The only thing left is to ask questions of how she was able to resist what I have been doing for centuries. It seemed boring to my child, but not to me. It was something that I have not come across in as long as I can remember. A human girl, but that was another question all together. Was she just a human?

"You gonna drink that?" Pam came to stand next to me.

Without answering, I offered her the blood in the glass and moved back away from the balcony. Once inside, I flicked a switch that would make my room light tight. It was just a few minutes away from dawn. One the room was in complete darkness; I moved toward the bed and sat on the silk sheets. I rested my back against the bed post and looked at my child who turned on a light.

"Who did you get this crap from?" She wrinkled her nose and sat the glass down on a stand.

"One of the donors." I answered, not really listening to her bitching.

"So, I met your new pet earlier this evening." Pam moved toward the bed, leaning on the other post as she crossed her arms. "She seems…delicious. Have you tasted her?"

"No, I haven't. I was close to doing so, but she reacted differently than most women would."

"And how did she act?" Her curiosity has spiked and I rolled my eyes.

"She pulled away." I shrugged.

"Wow, you must be losing your talent." When I didn't say anything, she went on. "Well, we did make a bet before. When a woman denies you anything is the day that I jump off a high cliff." She grumbled. "Think I would survive?"

"As long as you don't land on a stick that could go through your chest when you hit the ground, you would be fine." I chuckled, shaking my head at my child's antics. "So, what did you think of Sookie? Other than she seems delicious."

"She seems timid at times, but there is confidence under the surface. She has a dirty little mouth, I have also noticed. She's fuckable, but I don't think she swings my way." She sighed. "Be honest, why do you care what I think so much? You have never asked me before what I thought about your pets. Secret rule, remember? You don't ask me questions, I don't ask you questions and we work together just fine."

"I was simply curious." I shrugged once more.

"Sure you were." She snorted. "This girl is different and we both know it. She is getting under your skin already and you have not even tasted her. I want to know what is so different about her. Nothing on the surface clearly, she looks like a normal human."

"Have any theories?" I coaxed, relaxing more on the bed.

I grabbed the handkerchief from my pocket and wiped under my nose where the bleeds began to start. Pam simply wiped hers with the back of her hand and proceeded to wipe it into my sheets. I growled and she stopped, grinning devilishly.

"Well, I talked to her in the art tent. The tent that we hold the prophecy painting and the girl that was painted on the canvas did in fact resemble your newest pet in a way. The girl in the picture had a larger ass than Sookie's." I raised my eyebrow and she snorted. "It was her words, not mine. I'm just telling you what she said."

"So, you think there is a possibility that she is a fairy? The fairy from the legend?" It was my turn to sound skeptical. "I remember what a Fae smells like and Sookie doesn't smell that intoxicating. Her blood smells delectable and any vampire that came across her -when she had an open wound- would love to have a taste, but she _can_ be ignored. If she was a Fae then that would never happen. Their scent is much too intoxicating for you to ignore. You become something else. Instincts take over in a way. With Sookie's blood, it smells wonderful, but I can still handle myself when she has an open wound. If a Fae had a simple cut as Sookie had, there would be a million vampires on that Fae and they would kill them. The vampires would kill each other until they could get close enough to drain them dry. With Sookie, they would be merely curious most of them."

"I have no idea." She rolled her eyes. "Maybe the Fae started breeding with humans?"

I raised an eyebrow. I have not thought of that before, but it didn't sound concrete. "The fairies were left behind on earth while we were brought here to this world. Although they loved to mingle with humans they never bred with them. It was forbidden in their own law because they saw it as tainting the race. Mixed blood was not something Fae would welcome."

"You seem like your picking at straws, Eric." Pam shook her head slowly.

"How so?" I questioned.

"To me, it seems like you are trying to find other reasons to why she would smell so sweet, delicate. Have you already grown fond of the girl?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about. She is merely my pet and she has secrets, maybe some she does not even know." I stood and walked over to my desk. "I have no clue as to what could be the cause for this difference I see in her, but I will certainly find out."

"And in the process you will grow fond of her." Pam said. "That is another thing, Eric. If-and I am saying _if_- she is the one that could take us back to the human realm, wasn't it said that you might fall in love with the fairy?"

I growled. "Do not expect me to do that. It is a laughable question you have just asked, Pam. The Fae are the reason we are here in this world. They are the ones that rebelled against us when we told them they couldn't frolic with the humans. It is what caused us to be exposed in the first place, so explain to me, why would I fall in love with a Fae? We know the prophecy. I know what has to be done to make it back to earth. I wouldn't think twice about ripping into the fairy and killing her, taking what I need to get us out of here and cause mass war among the earth for what they have done to us." I looked over my shoulder at her. "It is very simple because I will not fall in love. It is not something that I am capable of regardless."

"Alright. Sheesh." Pam turned and moved out of the room.

The whole castle was darkened for the daylight hours, but I decided that today might be a good day to lie down and relax. I had a million things running through my head. I would see Sookie in the hours to come and talk to her about how she was able to resist. Of course, I have tried several times to glamour her. It was first after she was attacked by Brock that I tried, she had not reacted. When she did act, she almost made me believe that it worked. That was until I tried to do it at the masquerade and when she spoke of some humans being nearly drained dry. Just like she might have been that night if I had not saved her. She was clever in trying to pretend, but I was simply better.

It seemed all too surreal as of right now. I was intrigued with her for more than just her blood, or whatever ability she has that can resist my glamour. When I first saw her the night Brock had drank from her, I felt like I knew her, like I had already seen her before.

It wasn't until later that night that I thought of a reason why that could be. I had a dream that morning when I went down for the day. A dream that I had not had in a few years. It was of a girl that looked somewhat like Sookie. It was an erotic dream, one that was nearly always the same and one that I never forgot.

Long blond hair flowed over a set of shoulders as the head of a woman whipped back, crying out in ecstasy. Her body would glisten from sweat, a beautiful sight. Every time in those dreams, I would run my hand up her stomach and place it over her heart. Her chest would rise and fall with every deep pant she would take. I could feel every erratic pound of her heart as it beat just below my hand. Her heart was special; I always knew that in my dream. Finally, my hand that was placed on her chest would move away and I would lean in and place a kiss over her heart. Her face was not always clear, but I had a connection with this…dream woman. It reminded me of Sookie. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I did not know if it was a good sign, or a bad one.


	10. Sly Vampire

**Author's Notes:** Hey readers.

Since I had received so many messaged due to an inconvenience of me fixing a chapter and everyone thinking that there was a chapter 10, I have brought chapter 10 out for you all. I know it isn't very long, I had planned on making it much longer, but I am really sick right now. I promised I would update, because I felt bad and I simply couldn't let me being sick get in the way of what I had promised most of you.

I seriously hope this chapter makes some sense and it is not just ramblings from the meds I am on. lol.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>How many times have I sat and asked myself why would I be in this situation? Well, I couldn't even give out a number if I wanted to. I lost count. There were so many questions running through my head and no answers or even possibilities came to mind.<p>

The letter that my Gran has given me keeps giving off strange and weird riddles; ones that I could not even figure out.

_A key to your heart. Something that lies within needs to be guarded more strongly than you can ever imagine, child. For this is the key to your deepest desire, your truest wish. I ask of you to keep it hidden once I tell you everything, for it can determine your destiny. Yes, everyone has their own destiny and it is chosen for you if you want to believe such things or not. Only when you find love, _real love_, will this key open the doors to what you wish for. It isn't simple, Sookie. Love never is. _

What could that even possibly mean? A key to my heart? My heart is the key to giving me my deepest desire? My truest wish? How could she possible know what that is, when I didn't even know? Did I even believe in destiny? And what could she possibly mean that it will only open the doors to what I wish for when I find real love?

"I'm getting nowhere." I shook my head.

I leaned over the counter of the bar, putting my head in my hands. A terrible headache began to thump through my head and I knew I needed to stop trying to figure things out, but how could I do that? It seemed like the answer was just on the edge, just out of my reach. I needed more words to etch themselves on the letter before I could even begin to sort everything out.

I tried not to think about that painting, because there was really nothing I could do about it. I have no idea why Pam thought I looked like her, there were a million other women in the world with long blond curly hair.

To put everything very simple; I was freaking out. I knew I came through the portal, I know now that my blood smells delicious, that it tastes different somehow, that I can resist Eric's glamour and all of that is something I truly don't understand. Why was I brought to this world? It's not that I minded, but what was the reason that I got pulled through? Was there a reason?

I was afraid to find out.

"Are you okay?" Sam's voice was so sudden that I knocked over a beer bottle.

I quickly hurried to pick it up, shooting him an apologetic smile. "Yeah, just have a lot to think about."

"Does that have to do with you being King Eric's new play thing?" Sam's voice had conviction in it, so much that it made me a little stiff with him.

"Yeah, she is his new _thing_." I rolled my eyes as Dawn came strutting out from the back. "I don't know what Eric sees in you." She said to me.

"Maybe all the things that he doesn't find in you?" I grumbled, rubbing my hand over my face.

"Excuse me?" She whipped around, her hair flying through the air.

I raised an eyebrow as she stalked over to me. I stood my ground, not really scared of this woman in the slightest. I classified Dawn as a mind bully. She uses words to get under your skin, but I also noticed that she couldn't take what she dished out.

"You heard me, Dawn. I am so not in the mood for your games. I have a lot to do today." I grabbed the tray, stalking to the table behind her and gave the two beers to the older men sitting there.

"You have no idea who you are dealing with." She snapped at me as soon as I turned around.

I rolled my eyes. "If you are referring to yourself with that statement, then I have no reason to fear. Now, can you get out of my way?" I bumped my shoulder against hers because she refused to move just slightly to the side so I could continue working.

"Sookie? Are you going to keep having problems with the other waitresses?" Sam said. His voice was slightly edged, like he was mad.

What the hell is up with being attacked by everyone today?

"Sam, I have no problem with anyone in this bar, but when people decide to target me childishly, I won't take it."

"It seems like you are the one that is having that problem." He said.

My eyes went wide, but before I could open my mouth another voice came from the back.

"Shit, Sam. You need to just calm the hell down." Tara came through with her hands on her hips. "You have no reason to be angry at her. Don't just find a reason to snap at her, like you just did. So, she didn't choose you, get over it."

I cupped my hand over my mouth and turned around. I totally wasn't expecting her to say that. I smirked though, because it was true. I cared for Sam, I knew that he liked me, but I didn't like him that way. He was strictly my friend, that was all there was to it.

Sam stood there with his mouth hanging open, looking at Tara with a blush on his face. "G-Get back to work, all of you." He turned around and sulked out the back.

After twenty more minutes of getting everyone's orders, doing my rounds, and cleaning off the tables, I was done. I sighed, finally taking a seat for the first time all day. I also didn't sleep the night before, so this was all resting heavily on my shoulders. Tara came to sit on the other side of the booth and smirked at me.

"So, I guess you're getting a lot of shit today." She started.

"Well, it all just started before you came in."

"Well, Dawn is jealous, Sam is jealous. It does create hate, you know, but don't worry about that." She reached her hand over and patted mine. "This is your life and you get to choose what you want to do with it. If you want to roll around in the sheets with King Eric, then I say go for it."

"Tara…" I grumbled, slapping my forehead. "You have the oddest way of making me feel better."

"That is what best friends are for, Sook. Now, are you going to change? It is almost time for you to head to the castle." She grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet.

"I have no idea how you found out." I whispered.

"Oh, it was all over town. The way King Eric was acting with you at the Masquerade was something he has never done before. So everyone knew as he pulled you away that he was going to ask you to be his pet."

"I kind of figured that." I smiled and led the way up the stairs.

As I got to the top and opened the door, I looked at the living room. All my possessions were being placed in the living room by no other than Quinn and Alcide. I stood there dumbstruck, but this didn't seem to affect anyone else.

Tara waltzed in and grabbed the dress that was about to be packed up. Alcide turned and walked down the narrow hallway to my old bedroom. I stumbled in the house and looked around.

"W-What is going on?" I whispered.

"You didn't know that you move into the castle?" Tara asked as she looked at me.

I must have had a terrified look on my face, because she grabbed my hand and led me into the bedroom that I once called my own. Alcide was standing there, grabbing the last remaining dress from the closet.

"Excuse me," I walked over and grabbed the dress from his hands. "I can finish this. You didn't go through my drawers did you?"

"No ma'am. We were told to just pack up shirts, pants, dresses, shoes. You know things like that. We were specifically told not to touch…undergarments or anything that might look personal."

I could have blushed twenty shades of red, as I pushed him out of the room, telling him we would be there in just a few minutes. I leaned heavily against the door after I shut it.

"You seriously didn't know?" She asked.

"He said last night I was allowed to go home. This is my home." I whispered, unsure of what I was really talking about.

"Yes, it was your home at the time. They didn't have the room set up. I am surprised that he didn't tell you though."

"He is so slick! Such a sly little…little...ugh!" I burst, walking around the room at a fast pace. "No, he didn't mention this...this moving thing! Why should I move?"

"Well, there is more than one reason in your case." Tara sat down on the now very bare bed. "It helps for protection, if there is any need. You belong to the King; therefore he offers protection for all that he…_is with._ You are also living with another male, which is frowned upon if you belong to anyone in the court, especially the King. You are his, no one else's." She sighed. "Don't worry, Sook. These things don't last very long anyway, Eric gets tired of his pets really quickly."

"I doubt it will be the same with me." I grumbled, grabbing the last bag that was off in the corner by the door and began putting my undergarments inside. I made sure that my letter Gran had given me was safely tucked at the bottom of the bag. I also checked to see if the sheets of paper was tampered with before I put them away. They weren't.

I groaned slightly, unaware of what I was really getting into. I couldn't take it back now. I belonged to the King until he got tired of me. I just didn't know what to think.

"Just get dressed. It will still be the same. You'll see. Hardly anything will change." She whispered.

"How do you know?" I questioned.

"You can still leave the castle whenever you please, sometimes with guards, depending on where you are going. You can still come back to work, come see friends. You just get a luxurious bedroom with servants that are there to give you whatever your heart desires. So, it isn't that bad, is it?"

I sighed, turning the knob to the bathroom. "You know…I'm not quite sure if this is bad or not." I whispered as I shut the door behind me.


	11. Castle

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear readers!

I hope you are all doing wonderful!

This is going to be a very quick author's note, because I simply don't want to write anymore. I'm incredibly tired at the moment. Which leads me into saying that I did not look over the grammar much at all and when I say not much at all—I mean I skimmed though it. (Oh, I am such a bad writer! lol.) So forgive me if there are any bad mistakes. If so, I can always come back to this chapter.

It's a filler chapter, I knew that and now you do as well. I hope I make some sort of sense, I'm not quite sure if I do. I was falling asleep toward the end. Again, totally fixable if it doesn't make sense. I just wanted to get this chapter out to you so we can move on and get into deeper kind of things. :P Muhahaha.

Thank you for all of your wonderful feedback. Thank you for adding me and my stories to your favorites, story alerts, reviews and all that good jazz. You are all amazing!

*sigh* Again with the multiple adding of this chapter. It wasn't copying right, yet again.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>I walked slowly into the living room, noticing that all my belongings that were packed up were no longer sitting there. Tara had already bid me goodbye. She had to run out to do some errands, telling me that she would see me soon. Quinn was nowhere in sight, but Alcide was perched on the couch, his fingers interlaced lying on his lap. I was guessing that Quinn had took the rest of my belongings ahead of time.<p>

"You ready?" He asked, smiling slightly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I mumbled back.

I raised the bag higher, carrying my very personal belongings-which he called them. The bag started to slip from my fingers when it caught on my dress, lifting it slightly higher above my knees. Alcide moved in quick, grabbing the bag from my hands and slinging it over his shoulder.

"T-Thank you." I whispered.

That was embarrassing. I couldn't even hold my own 'personal items'. He smiled again and motioned for me to continue to the door. I did so, going the back way instead of through the bar. I didn't know if I wanted people to watch me leave. I sort of felt like I would be doing the walk of shame in a way.

Alcide stayed quiet until he looked down at the bottom of the stairs to where Sam was leaning casually against the side of the bar. Immediately, Alcide stepped in front of me without much thought. I guess that is where the protection comes in handy? I have no idea. I had no reason to be protected from Sam.

"Hey…Sook?" Sam said as I stepped passed him. I turned around and smiled gently. He shuffled on his feet slightly before he continued. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for being rude earlier. Just a bad day, I guess." He chuckled nervously.

I walked over to him and put my arms around his waist. I pulled him in for a short hug. "It's alright, we all have those days. Apology accepted, Sam."

"You still coming to work, right?" He asked, looking over at Alcide who was watching cautiously.

"I believe so. I don't know how soon I can come back, since I have no idea what I am really doing right now." I paused before leaning in and whispering very softly so Alcide couldn't hear, "Sam, I need you to lie for me. Go to the town where your great-grandfather lives and tell them to say I lived there, if anyone comes asking about it. I told Eric that I came from your hometown."

Sam nodded. "Gotcha."

"Thank you so much, for everything. I'll be back as soon as I can." I promised.

I turned on the spot and continued down the road with Alcide. Everything was quiet as we moved and I noticed that there was a crowd gathering around a horse that was tied to the fence. Alcide was continuing that way and I groaned. I guess I would be seeing people as I left even though I didn't want to. I was never good with crowds. I made sure my barriers were up tight so no thoughts slipped through. I really didn't want to hear the women calling me a slut and whatnot. As it was, they were all glaring at me scornfully.

"Don't worry they won't get close to you." Alcide said softly.

"I guess that's what you're here for?" I asked, stepping up to his side now. I didn't want to be tagging along.

"I am your personal bodyguard. King Eric has assigned me to you." He smirked slightly. "We're going to be seeing each other quite a bit for as long as he wants you."

"That's comforting at least." I smiled slightly. "Is it really that important?"

"Well, I have escorted some of his pets before, but there was never a crowd like this. They seem to really…" He trailed off.

"Hate my guts?" I supplied.

Alcide chuckled, shaking his head. "Like I said, don't worry about them."

"I'm not." I told him honestly. "I feel safer with a big guy like you protecting me."

"You'll get tired of me sooner or later." He said.

"It takes a lot for me to get tired of people, so don't hold your breath." I laughed.

"Ready for the swarm of crazy women?" He asked, stepping slightly in front of me again.

I stayed exactly a few inches away from his back as he pushed through the group of women. No one spoke; they just sort of watched me. It was weird. My barriers were getting a workout though. I could feel their thoughts pressing against them as if they were screaming.

Alcide put his hand out for me to get on the horse and I took it with no hesitation. I was starting to get claustrophobic with everyone surrounding me. Once I was on the horse, Alcide untied the knot that was keeping the horse still and tugged on them.

We began at a slow pace, walking down the path that would lead to the castle. I turned my head to the side and looked at the town I called my home for a few weeks. It was sad to leave, since I've grown so accustom to the place in a short amount of time, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little bit excited about where I was going. I was nervous as hell, but…it couldn't be all bad.

"You seem to be thinking about something heavy." Alcide commented, tugging the horse a bit faster.

"I'm just not used to this kind of treatment. I mean, my items were taken to the castle for me, I'm riding on a horse- I haven't done that since I was like twelve and I have my own bodyguard. It's all just a lot to take in at one time, you know?"

"Yeah, but it isn't all bad. I've been here since I turned twenty and that was almost eleven years ago."

"You're going to be thirty-one?" I blinked. "No way."

"Look good for a middle aged man, huh?" He grinned. "Just the way of the Were, I guess. Good genes."

I chuckled. "Well at least you're funny. I think I would have gone crazy if I got a bodyguard that couldn't take jokes or make them."

"How old are you, if you don't mind my asking?" He looked over his shoulder.

"I'm twenty -three actually. Just turned twenty-three a few weeks ago."

He nodded. "When I was twenty-three I was elected for one of King Eric's personal day guards."

"What is that like?" I leaned forward, rubbing the horse's neck.

"You just got to protect them as they sleep, make sure everything is going smoothly. Eric's not a bad guy for a vampire." He shrugged.

"I thought vampires and Weres didn't get along?"

"Some of us don't, but some of us can work together. It's a pretty fair trade; we do make quite a lot of money."

"I guess it is then." I answered.

It became quiet after that and I leaned back, looking up at the sky above. The sun was going to set in just a little less than two hours. I guess that would give me enough time to take a shower, get changed and then wait until Eric was ready to see me.

Butterflies lit in my stomach as I thought about that. Would Eric want to taste my blood tonight? Most likely since I was his pet and that is what he was getting out of this agreement. He wanted my blood; I wanted to get to know him better. I still remember how I jerked away when he was going to taste me the night before. I still have no idea what that voice was or why it told me to keep myself protected, but I guess I had to start ignoring it. I wasn't afraid, not so much at least. I had questions about it, but it wasn't something I was freaking over. So, I have no idea what that little voice in my mind meant.

I looked forward now, seeing the castle come into view. I smiled slightly. It was still beautiful. A castle was something I have never seen before, so this was wonderful for me. I was going to be living here-for as long as Eric wanted me. It shouldn't be so bad, but I was still going to demand why he didn't tell me I would be moving. It was sudden, it threw off my routine. If we were going to do this and we were, because I couldn't back out, then I wanted answers.

The horse came to a stop and Alcide held up his hands for me. I pushed slightly and fell into his waiting arms. He lowered me to the ground and backed up slightly, looking at the castle.

"Welcome to your new home, Sookie." He spoke gently.

I smiled. "I have the urge to walk in and say, 'Honey, I'm home'!"

"Where did you hear a phrase like that?" He chuckled.

I blushed, forgetting for just a moment that they didn't have the same shows on TV as we did. There shows were a lot different than ours back home.

"Just a phrase my grand-daddy used to say." I told him gently.

"Are you ready to go to your room?" He asked, stepping up the main stairs. When we reached, he knocked once and we waited. After a few moments, I looked at him in confusion. "Sometimes there are vampires that are still up during the day, so they need to make sure they are not in the room when the doors open. It's still light outside."

I nodded and waited. A few more seconds passed before the doors finally swung open and the two Weres behind the door bowed before me. I bit the inside of my cheek. I wasn't too sure if I liked that or not. It was weird to be bowed before.

The castle was much as the same it was last night. There were candles lit everywhere, the grand chandelier overtop was on, sending specks of light in every direction.

"You've seen this part of the castle." Alcide said. "Follow me. I'll give you a small tour. I'll take you to your room."

The stairway broke off into two directions and we took the right staircase. I followed close behind Alcide as we moved. There were quite a few people here in the castle, maids for the most part, but there were Weres and humans here to. We walked down another hallway, and I realized just how big this castle was.

We came upon a hallway of rooms; one right after another, down a hallway that didn't seem to end. Alcide opened the one door and I peered inside. It was a standard room with a little kitchenette off to the left side.

"These are the rooms for the pets." He said as he shut the door.

I nodded and we continued. We turned down another way and then we were in a giant room with a fireplace off in the corner. The walls and floors were dark wood. I stood there for a moment, looking around the area. There was another chandelier in the middle, much the same as the one in the main entrance, just smaller. The furniture was a deep crimson color. It was quite spacious.

"This is the pets lounge. Not only the King has pets, but his followers who also live here have them as well. They usually don't care which one they feed from, they are just on hand." He paused. "They are all donors that agreed to do this and they stay here much longer than most of the Kings."

I nodded again.

"If you come and look out this window you will see what the donors usually do for fun." He said, stepping forward.

There was a metal sheet of some kind in front of the windows. Alcide picked up a remote and the metal sheet began to rise. I was guessing that is how they make each room light tight for vampires. I've heard about it, but didn't know what they actually did.

Once it was up, I leaned over and looked out. There was a lot of land off to this side of the castle. A wooded area off to the back, open land to the right, but if I looked closely, I think there was a high fence that was to the left side of the field.

I could see different kinds of games that were being played. If I listened closely, there was some music coming from the grounds as well. Quite a few people were in the pool that was there and I smiled. They all seemed to be having fun with this.

"The King treats these people fairly, if you were worried about that sort of thing." Alcide said softly. "Even if he doesn't drink from most of them, he still makes sure that they have everything they need."

"He must have a lot of money to take care of that many people and even more that I don't see."

Alcide smirked. "The King has more money than you could imagine, Sookie."

I smiled gently, not sure what to say. "Where to next?"

"It's getting rather late and I'm sure you want to freshen up and all that good stuff." He winked. "I'll take you to your room to show you there."

"No, you really don't have to. I remember where the pet's quarter is. Just down the hallway from here, right?"

Alcide grabbed my arm, chuckling. "Sookie, you don't stay there with them. You're in a different place altogether."

"Oh." I blushed and let him lead me.

We walked down one of the pet's hallways and turned left. We came to a wider hallway and I noticed that we did a big circle. I was slightly winded by walking that far, I guess it was time that I thought about exercising again. I've gotten sloppy.

I turned around, noticing the balcony that looked over the main entrance. The balcony with the King's throne sitting there. I smiled, but before I could take a step, Alcide coughed to get my attention. I turned around and saw him holding out his hand. In his palm, there was a key. I raised an eyebrow but took it from his grasp.

He pressed a button on the side of the wall-one that I didn't see before and to my surprise there was a hidden door, which lead into an elevator.

We stepped inside and Alcide turned to me, looking at the panel of buttons. "Alright, I will give you a rundown of how this all works before we go anywhere. There are seven floors, but only four floors can be accessed by this elevator. The ground floor, which we are on now, which holds the pets. The second floor is the Were floor, where I live. That floor cannot be accessed, along with the third and fourth floor, they are vampire floors. The next floor up-the fifth floor, is where you will be staying. The sixth floor is Pam's floor and then the top floor is King Eric's." He paused, taking the key back. "You cannot get up to their floors unless you have their key. It is customized to the keys." He explained. "So, if you wanted to go up to see Eric, then he would need to give you a key for his floor and then that is the only way it would work. You wouldn't be able to stop on Pam's floor on your way up. It's for their protection during the daylight hours when they are most vulnerable."

"You said you are close to the King?" I asked.

"As close as I'll ever be." He shrugged.

"I guess that means you don't have a key to either of their rooms?"

"Nope, I don't. No one does, only Eric and Pam have the right to give the spare keys out. It hasn't been done in a long time, Eric usually comes to his pet and Pam usually goes to hers as well. So don't get all bent out of shape, if they don't invite you." He chuckled. "We also lock the vampire floors, just as precaution when they sleep as well. There two stairways that go up to the fourth floor. During daylight hours, you won't be able to go up any higher than the second floor. The third stairway is locked." He stopped to think. "Oh! There is another stairway that you could use, if the elevator doesn't work. I have a key for that as well. Just as the elevator, you can't go higher than your floor unless you have one of their keys to unlock the door above you and don't worry, that stairway is completely separate from the main stairway, which makes up the first four floors."

"I'm highly confused." I chuckled, waving my hand when he was about to speak it all over again. "I think I got it, don't worry."

"You ready to go up?" Alcide stepped forward and turned my key in the right slot.

There were three slots, mine, Pam's and Eric's. I stepped back and waited as it moved up. Finally there was a light beeping sound before the door came open. I stepped through the doorway and looked to my right. There was in fact a door just a few feet in that direction. I was guessing that was the back stairs. To my right, there was just a wall, which seemed weird. I shrugged.

I looked in front of me, to notice there was a single door. I walked to it as Alcide handed me yet another key. I put it in the lock and the door swung open.

I thought I would find something like what the other pets rooms were like. Just a simple one area room with a small kitchen. I thought I would have something like that, but I thought wrong. Really, really wrong.

As I walked through the door, there was a narrow hallway. I moved forward, looking to my right and as I did so, I noticed a much bigger kitchen. Multiple deep cherry wood cabinets, marble countertops, beautiful appliances. I continued, a little dazed as I did so.

Next I came upon an open floor area. In front of me there was a couch, love seat and chair around a coffee table, pointed at a giant beautiful cobblestone fireplace. There was another chandelier like before above the sitting area. I blinked once, wondering if I could really take seeing any more. I might just become a puddle on the floor right now.

I walked slowly to the right, seeing that there was an arched walkway and through that there was a smaller library. Books upon books lined the shelves, all kinds of books. I loved to read so that was a huge surprise. There was a desk in there as well, supplied with paper and writing utensils. They are just a few of the things I saw.

I turned back around. Across the living room area there was another set of doors. I knew that was the bedroom now. I stepped softly across the hardwood, making it to the doors. I took a deep breath before I opened and when I did, the wind came whooshing out.

I stood there wide-eyed at the giant wooden platform bed that was sitting in the middle of a giant room. The dark wood headboard behind the bed is what caught my attention. There were tree branches with little flowers blooming in different places, engraved on the wood. The shading was amazing, the way the branches and flowers got lighter, how the layers created that, deeper the engraved work went. It was so beautiful.

The bed sheets were simple, an off white silk. The walls were a very light brown color. I liked that. To the right of me, there was what seemed to be a balcony that I knew I would check out later. Turning to the left, I noticed two sets of doors next to each other. The one door was a standard door; the other was double doors, much like the entrance to the room.

I chose the standard door first. I opened it to notice a rather big walk in closet. I nodded, shutting the door before turning around and going to the bathroom. I knew that it had to be that.

As I opened the door, I smiled. I loved nice bathrooms and this just topped the cake. A giant shower that looked like it had multiple shower heads and a bench, a huge bathtub that I could just relax in all day. Two beautiful marble sinks attached to a dark wood cabinet. A long mirror was above that. I turned around and looked around the divider to see a simple toilet. I smiled.

Okay, this was a really nice place. I had to admit that. I bit my lip as I heard a shuffling behind me. Turning around I saw Alcide leaning in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"I absolutely love it." I admitted, smiling brightly.

"The sheets, towels, soaps, foods, and other things like that are fresh. Bought really late last night and earlier this morning. It is all yours and you can do whatever you want." He told me.

"Thank you, Alcide." I whispered gratefully.

"You're welcome." He smiled, stepping over to the phone that was on a small stand next to the bed. "This is the phone you can used to get ahold of me. There is another Were that connects the call, so if you need me just call and ask for Alcide and I will come up at any time." I nodded. "I have a key to your floor, but not one for your room. It's for your privacy of course."

"Again, thank you for showing me around, Alcide. That was awfully kind of you to do that." I held out my hand. He chuckled before placing his in mine and shaking it once. I smiled.

"I will leave you to get ready. I will be calling you when the King is ready. You remember your way around the castle, right? It shouldn't be hard as of right now; he will meet you in the main entrance."

"Yes, I am all set." I nodded.

"Good, see you in just a bit." Alcide turned and left.

I stood there for just a moment, hearing the door shut before I leaned heavily against the wall. This place was amazing! This little place was beautiful and it was all mine. I really wasn't expecting this when I first said yes to King Eric.

I was excited for this new adventure, much to my amusement. I still had my head on straight though, I knew why I came and what I wanted to do. I wanted to get to know Eric and that is exactly what I get to do in just a little bit. First question,-which seems totally pointless now since I have a beautiful apartment-I wanted to know why he didn't tell me. Well, maybe I can just forget it.

I still didn't know what I would be doing tonight. What would he want to do? What Eric would really want to talk about? Yes, I knew he wanted to talk about how I was able to resist his glamour, but I also didn't have any answers as to why that is. I guess, I will figure out what to do when I see him.

I turned around and looked at the shower. I grinned. Time for a little bit of relaxation before the night is truly upon me.


	12. The first night

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear readers!

I hope you are all doing well as of late! Since I know you guys were very excited about this chapter, I decided to write this morning instead of waiting until Monday. :P

*****CHECK THIS OUT:** I also wanted to give a shout out to the amazing** Lei** who has made a banner for this story and a few of my others. I am still in the process of adding some of them to my Fanfic profile, but some are up, including the Folklore banner she has made! They are wonderful! Check em out when you have time! Thank you Lei for your wonderful art! *hugs*

I've been very busy, so I hope that you all forgive me!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>Alcide had called right after I got out of the shower. I had no idea how long I stayed in it, but it was wonderful. I felt all loose and relaxed after those shower heads came at me from every direction. I guess it wasn't actually good timing when he called because I still had to get ready. All the loose and relaxed feelings disappeared instantly.<p>

The butterflies in my stomach began to assault me, since the phone line cut off with Alcide saying to try to hurry. All I could think about was Eric and what he would want to do tonight. Yes, the main priority I already knew. He wanted to know how I was able to resist his glamour, but I didn't really know what to tell him. Should I tell him that I could read minds? I thought that might be a bit hard since Sam told me not to tell anyone.

It wasn't really even that I was thinking about. It was about him getting what we bargained on. With him getting my blood, since he was a vampire and that is how he survives. That is what a pet is, their living life source for as long as the vampire wanted said pet.

It still made me nervous though. With what happened when Brock nearly drained me. It hurt when he bit into my skin, really bad. I guess that is what I was nervous about. Pain. It was as simple as that. Would it still hurt? Getting bit doesn't sound too exciting.

Also the other aspect of being a pet. Sex. I was not ready for that, not yet and I didn't know if I would be. A lot of girls want to save themselves for someone they love, but I never really thought about it like that. I believe it is because I never thought I could have a normal relationship with a human male back in Bon Temps. I could always read their minds, know what stunt they were going to try to pull right before they did. It was a major turn off, but that was all different with vampires for the simple fact that I couldn't hear their minds. I couldn't look into them and see the advancements that they were going to try to do. Still, even though that is refreshing to me, I still wasn't ready to give myself away so easily.

Though, Eric did say that he wasn't going to force me to do anything. That alone made me question myself even further. What if I denied him countless times? What if I wasn't ready to go into that aspect of the 'relationship' we have? Would he get tired of me?

I didn't want that. I wanted to get to know Eric, every aspect about him. He was always the person I looked up to most in the story Gran had told me so long ago. I had…dreams about him, which also makes me question my sanity. If I can dream about having sex with him, then why can't I do it in actual reality? Nerves. Yep, that is what I am going to account for it. Since my nerves were fried already, I didn't think I would be able to do much of anything right now.

"Gran, what should I do?" I whispered, grabbing the sheets of paper that she had left me.

It was all I had left and I was holding onto them as if my life depended on it. Much like before, words began to sprawl out on the once blank page.

_In the situation you are in, there is always a simple answer: Just be yourself. Be who you always have been. I have also told you a million times since you were little, that you would always need to protect your heart in a situation, so that is what you have to do. Be yourself, but protect your heart in the process._

This time it was different though. As soon as the words were on the sheet and after I read them, they disappeared. It was like the ink drew back into the sheet of paper, dissolved into nothing. I guess Gran is still watching over me somewhere or these pages had more magic than I had first thought. I would like to think the former though; hoping that Gran was in fact watching over me and leading me in the right direction.

I sighed, putting the sheets of paper in the closet on the back shelve under my jeans. I had to find a secret place for them, but for right now, they were alright where they were. As I turned, I grabbed the blue dress I had in the corner, sitting on top of the bag I opened.

I would need to unpack, but that could wait for later. I was late right now and I didn't want to keep a king waiting. That is really bad manners.

I didn't even have time to really get into the makeup stash that I had. I just threw it on and hoped for the best that I didn't look like some deformed clown trying to get into the circus. My hair was still damp and I decided to just let it dry on its own. Hell, what else could I have done? It wasn't like I could blow dry it with King Eric waiting down in the main entrance.

I grabbed some sandals. I really wasn't doing this right. The first night I would be actually spending with him and I come looking like a mess. It's all that damn showers fault. I swear it just pulls you in and then it never wants to let you go. Stupid shower.

I trudged into the living room area not having much confidence in myself. Grabbing the keys that were laying on the coffee table, I moved toward the door. After doing a few breathing exercises, I opened it and stepped into the short hallway. Pressing the button to go down, I slid inside and waited impatiently for it to descend. When it did, the butterflies that were in my stomach went to my throat. For a minute there, I thought I would be puking them out, but that never arose.

Once the floor dinged and after I stepped out, I turned slightly to look at the set of stairs that would lead me down, but what caught my eyes was the fact that Eric wasn't down in the main entrance, but sitting on his throne on the balcony looking out toward the main entrance.

He was in a very relaxed position. His legs were drawn further out on the floor, his right hand was casually laying on the arms; his palm lying limply over the edge, and his right hand was in a ball in an upward position, holding his head up. He was also slouched, but he looked incredibly comfortable. I wasn't sure that he heard me, but I bet he did. He was just waiting on me to come to him.

I did so slowly, taking that first step and then another and so on. I reached his side and the balled up hand fell away, lying just as limply as the other. He turned slowly in my direction and met my gaze. For a minute I was star struck, I guess I could call it that. He just looked so handsome, so normal. His normal façade of being the vampire King wasn't there. He wasn't acting like a king, just a normal person or vampire in his case.

A slight smirk lifted on the left side of his lips before he nodded. I watched him stand, his long ponytail flying over his shoulder to lay flat against his back. I bowed slightly and felt his hand on my shoulder, straightening me upward.

"I've told you, there is no need for you to bow when we are alone." He said in a rather normal tone. It was much different than the tone that I was used to, the one that had quite a lot of authority.

"I forgot, I'm sorry your majesty." I whispered.

"Eric."

"What?" My brows furrowed as I looked up at him.

"The same rule applies. If we are alone, then you don't have to call me your majesty. I prefer Eric over it anyway." He smiled slightly again. "Besides, you have already called me by my first name last night. It was quite a shock that you would, but it was…kind of refreshing."

Did I? I had no idea that I did that at all. Possibly because of everything else that was running through my head.

"Alright…Eric." It still sounded weird to speak it. Even if I did say it last night as well.

"Are you ready?" He asked, holding out his hand for me.

"Uh, where are we going?" I asked as I placed my hand in his.

Eric didn't say anything, but began to move through the balcony, coming to the hallway once more. We turned down the one hallway leading by the Pet's area. There were some of them standing around, but not all of them. I heard some pretty loud moans from some of the rooms, so I was guessing that the vampires were feeding and having…_relations_.

As we passed, some of the girls looked in my direction. Some didn't seem bothered by it, but some of them did. I guess that is the way it would always be. I doubted I would be welcomed in by open arms from the other pets because I was with the king. They all wanted that and I was the one that got picked. It brings on jealousy, but it wasn't as though I couldn't take it. I was strong enough.

Eric didn't let go of my hand, but it wasn't like he was holding it as though lovers would. It wasn't the expression I got off of the act. It was more as though he was guiding me though the castle, regardless of what any onlookers thought of what it looked like. It was a simple gesture, not really anything to go on. I told myself that.

We reached a back way that led to a set of glass doors. Two Weres were standing on the inside, one was Alcide. I smiled gently when he nodded in my direction. He bowed in front of Eric and opened the doors.

"Have a nice night, your majesty." They both told Eric before stepping slightly back for him to pass.

Eric nodded in their direction, but it didn't seem as though he was really listening. I followed him; it wasn't like I had a choice in the matter really. He was still holding onto my hand. There were stairs on the other side, much like the main stairs to the front doors of the castle. We stepped down and then came to a stop. I looked around in the time given, seeing what there was to see.

It was beautiful. There was a fountain in the middle of the spacious land provided. Surrounding that giant fountain was a beautiful garden with red roses as dark as blood in color. That was the only flower species in this whole garden and it wasn't a small one at that. No, there were rows and rows of rose bushes and then quite a few yards passed the fountain was a giant hedge. A slight path made of cobblestone led the way to the fountain and after a few moments, Eric began to move in that direction.

"Your garden is beautiful, Eric." I told him, stepping to his side.

"It was Pam's idea to have it, but I have always been fond of roses." He spoke offhandedly.

"Really?" I whispered.

"You did say you wanted to get to know me, correct?" He asked and I nodded. "Then what best way to start it off by telling you the small things like that?"

"I guess you're right." I answered.

"What is your favorite flower Sookie?" He questioned gently.

I was kind of shocked that he would want to know something as simple as that. I was sure he would be asking me about how I was able to resist his glamour the first chance he got, but here he was, asking me this question. He seemed comfortable, like he wasn't rushing anything.

_Just be yourself._ Gran's words echoed in my mind. I could still remember her voice, so I could almost hear her saying them. I smiled gently. I needed to just relax and let whatever happens happen.

"Lilacs. I love lilacs." I answered honestly.

"Lilacs have a wonderful fragrance." He commented, nodding.

"What is it like to smell different things as a vampire?" I asked before I could process the question. It stopped Eric suddenly and he looked down at me slightly confused. I bit my lip. "Sorry."

Eric chuckled, after he relaxed again. "I just wasn't expecting that kind of question. Of all the questions you could ask, that is what you want to know?"

"Start small, remember?" I smiled. I was becoming more relaxed now, becoming myself.

Eric looked thoughtful for a moment before turning back and continuing down the path. I followed at his side, waiting for him to answer.

"I cannot remember what it's like to smell as a human any longer, so I guess it would be curious for someone, such as yourself, to know what vampire's senses are like." He turned slightly to look down at me before turning back and continuing. "Everything smells stronger, more powerful. When you are a vampire, all of your senses heighten dramatically; hearing, seeing, smelling, touch and taste." He explained. "It is all much clearer, the world looks more vibrate. Right now, I can hear the crickets singing from the middle of the forest. I can see the deer moving out there as well."

"I don't hear anything other than the water from the fountain and I definitely don't see anything." I whispered astonished, looking through the opening in the hedge.

"It's because your senses are much duller than a vampire's. So, back to the original question. Smelling things is much stronger, but it isn't always pleasant."

"No?" I couldn't help but ask.

"No," He clarified. "The way you smell food for instance. Most of it smells delicious for you, correct?"

"Of course." I answered.

"It isn't for us. We are no longer drawn to the food you take into your body to live. We can stand the smell, but it isn't something we enjoy being around." He told me softly. "But since we are drawn to blood, it takes on all different scents. This is the difficult part to try to make you understand though." He stopped suddenly and met my gaze. "Since blood has different scents, it can take on the smell of different foods. Apples, apricots, strawberries and so on; it doesn't taste like it or what I remember of food anyway. We vampires like the smell of that blood, but if you put apples, apricots, and strawberries next to the human who smells like those items, it isn't the same."

"That is all sorts of complicated." I huffed, blinking a few times. "But I understand what you're getting at."

He waited as I took this all in. Eric leaned down and picked a rose from the bush and brought it up between us. He stepped closer to me in the process. "This rose on the other hand smells delightful for both of us. There is some middle ground." He explained. "Your senses are duller though, so you cannot smell all there is to this rose. You smell the fragrance, which is the strongest part of this flower, but your nose doesn't pick up the more subtle scents that are very dominant to a nose like mine." He smirked. "I can clearly smell the pollen, the nectar, the stem, the leaves and even the dirt from the ground and this flower wasn't even touching the soil."

He carefully twirled the rose between his fingers, pulling the stem off until there was just a small little piece left. He threw the stem away into the garden bed to the side of us. I watched as he carefully moved my hair behind my left ear before he placed the rose there as well. I reached up to touch the soft petals and also to hide my slight blush that arose from when his hands brushing the sensitive part behind my ear.

"Your scent sort of reminds me of the fragrance in this rose, among other things." He told me. "Your blood smells very sweet as I have said before. It smells pure, light, and delectable."

I didn't know what to say, so I continued with another question. "What is your favorite scent in the whole world?"

"There are two. One is fresh raindrops. The scent of rain is refreshing." Eric whispered. "My other favorite scent is very new to me and one I will explain another time."

I smiled gently. "I love the smell of fresh rain too. Of course, as you've explained, I don't smell it as clearly, but it is a very refreshing smell."

"Something we have in common." He added casually. "Come, there is a place I would like for you to see now since I've gotten to know you slightly."

I gulped, unsure of where this was leading now. Everything seemed comfortable a minute ago, very comfortable in fact, but with that, I wasn't sure what to think. I bit my lip as he grabbed my hand once more and continued around the fountain. We made it to the hedge and walked through the small archway. Getting out on the other side, I could see more land. Quite a few more yards away there was a forest. I was guessing that is where Eric said he saw the deer moving. He does have some good eyesight.

It wasn't the only thing out here. There was a tall fence to the right of us, the one I knew I saw earlier when I looked down upon the pets as they relaxed and enjoyed themselves earlier. There was also a horse stable off toward the left. It was fenced in a giant area where the horses could run, but I didn't see any as of right now.

Eric led us in that direction and I wondered if I could ride a horse in this dress. I looked down. It went slightly passed my knees and as long as I didn't go too fast on the horse, I was sure I would be fine. We continued until we were at the gate and I watched as Eric opened the latch and then pulled it open. The gate came in my direction and I caught it.

"Do you want me to shut it?" I inquired.

"No, it is quite alright to leave it open." Eric held out his hand once more and I took it.

I wasn't afraid to hold his hand. Quite honestly, it didn't even feel weird to do so. Even back as we walked through the castle earlier, I didn't get the sense of it feeling weird. It was…comfortable.

"You enjoy horses?" I asked.

"Yes, they are my favorite animal." He grinned. "And your favorite animal would be?"

"Hmm." I brought my hand up and tapped my chin. "That's a hard one. If I had to pick, I would chose cats."

"A household feline?" He chuckled. "Tame animals."

"Your horses are tamed." I commented as we reached the horses.

"Yes, but they weren't that way to start with. I had to break them in." He patted the side of a black horse.

That stopped me for a few seconds and I bit the inside of my cheek. I had to ask a question, but I had to do it in a way that didn't look so suspicious.

"Eric?"

"Hmm?"

"Everyone knows the story of how we got here." I started. "How the humans, Weres and vampires began to create this world into what it is, but I was wondering how the animals got here as well. I mean, no one in my family has ever told me about that. I guess it didn't seem important in our history."

Eric was quiet for a few seconds. I wondered if I said something wrong. I went back to run over my words quite a few times in the silence, but I didn't find anything wrong with what I said. It wasn't suspicious.

"The animals were already here." He finally stated. "I remember what it was like coming through the portal, seeing the forest that I landed in. We were cast though by natives, that is what we called them at that time. Witches in a native tribe of some sort were the one that cast me and the ones I traveled with through. They never really told us of what we would find once we made it here. I expected a desolate place, but this is where we landed." He motioned around us. "An alternate universe and one that was even lusher, more vibrant than earth. I guess that is the way they wanted it though. To have us think that we would be able to live here forever without a care in the world, but then they threw the black hole into existence. It is killing our world slowly and all we can do as of right now is watch it happen." He paused. "Though the place was vibrant and able to be lived on with many different varieties of things that humans, Weres, other supernaturals and even vampires needed, it still took quite a long time to get accustomed to it."

"How so?" I asked.

"For a simple answer, there were many different people with only a range of one language. Some could not understand each other. We had to find a way to communicate. Since I was the oldest vampire left, the King of Vampires and had a background of many languages, I took the lead into helping everyone settle down. After a while though, it just wasn't possible for me to continue it on my own. We took a mixture of some languages, came up with different words and this is what we have come up with, what we are speaking now."

_Thank God for that. _I thought. It would have been an even crazier place for me to be in if I didn't understand a word they were saying. It is just plain weird to know that the language they came up with was in fact the English language back on Earth.

"It must have been awful to start out like that. I couldn't imagine." I shook my head.

"It was very hard to start, but it became easier over time. People started creating more children, because that is what we needed to live and so on. That is how you are here." He said the last sentence softly.

_No, no it really _isn't_ how I am here._

"Let us go now and not talk further about that. It is not something I like to recall." He told me, opening the gate that held the horse. "I've shared quite a lot with you tonight."

I nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It isn't needed." He waved off my worries before coming over and opening the gate I was standing in front of. To my surprise, it was the same horse as I rode earlier.

"You had me ride on one of your personal horses to the castle?" I patted the horse's neck again.

"Of course. I wouldn't have you riding in on one of the lower quality horses that we have for the other pets to ride on. You are special because you belong to me." He answered, smirking again.

"That's comforting." I chuckled. "Speaking of which, why didn't you tell me I would be moving into the castle?"

"I thought you would know at first, but then I recalled that you came from a place that didn't like vampires in general, so let us just go with that I wanted to surprise you. Speaking of which, do you like your accommodations?"

I nodded wildly. "It's beautiful, thank you."

"I'm glad you do. You are the first person to live in it." He said casually, moving around the horse.

That was another thing I wasn't expecting to hear. "You mean that no other pet has lived there before me?"

"Does that bother you? Some women don't like seconds." He turned to look at me.

"No, it's just…you had pets before me, right?"

"Correct."

"Then…where did they stay?"

"In the pets' quarters." He shrugged.

"But…"

Eric turned to look at me again. His eyes met mine for a brief moment and I thought I caught a hint of amusement there. It was so much different than the King Eric façade that he usually wears. It was like this was the real him and the king personality was just a fake. I couldn't get over that, how he acted since we came out here tonight.

"Like I have said before, Sookie. You are different to me." Without any further explanation into what exactly that meant, he got on his horse and waited for me to do the same.

I did, getting up on the horse. I held the reigns carefully in my hands, making sure I had a firm grip.

"Do you know how to ride?" He asked as he watched me get situated.

Before I answered, I made sure that my dress was situated. "Of course, though I haven't actually maneuvered a horse myself since I was young. You might want to go easy on me."

Eric laughed. "I wouldn't dream of pushing you too far, Sookie Stackhouse. Not yet, at least."

That alone had much more meaning than he was actually letting on. I let that go into the back of my mind to think about later and nudged the horse lightly. It began to move and I went with it casually.

Eric stayed by my side, his horse trotting along next to mine before we reached the forest entrance. There was a trail that he obviously used before. He went in front of me to lead us to where he wanted to go and I followed close behind. Every once in a while Eric would look back at me to probably check that I was still on the horse right and not leaning too far to the side.

Being on a horse was calming, I had to admit. When I rode before, when I was younger, it was always during the day. Horseback riding at night was a different setting all together. I felt as though it was more freeing as the moon and closer planet lightened the sky above the treetops.

We rode for quite some time and when Eric stopped we were around an area that seemed secluded. There were trees which looked to be in a circle pattern in front of us. Thick bushes hid what was on the other side. Eric finally nudged his horse again and he moved through the small path that was leading into the circle of trees. I followed carefully.

Once we reached the other side, I was in awe. Surrounding me was nothing but lilacs. Bushes upon bushes were surrounding this small circular space, but it was so beautiful. The fragrance alone was something to smile about.

"Eric…it's beautiful."

"Lilac is your favorite. As soon as you said that, I knew I had to show you this place. I come here to think when I need to do so. It's calming."

I dismounted the horse and walked further into the little area. There was a log lying on its side and I took a seat, looking around at all the beautiful purple and white lilacs that were breezing back and forth in the slight night wind.

Eric smiled as he got off his horse and came to sit next to me. "I thought this place would be good for you as well, since I want you to be calm when I ask you this question."

Oh, what could that question be? The butterflies lit back up in my stomach as I turned in his direction. I was vaguely aware that there could only be two possible questions he would ask. One would be him tasting my blood and the other would be him asking me how I was able to resist his glamour. I chose the latter.

"Sookie, how were you able to resist my glamour?" He questioned lightly. "You don't have to be afraid; it is why I brought you here. For a few reasons. I wanted you to be calm, I wanted you to tell me honestly and I didn't want anyone to overhear your answer."

"Eric, I really don't know how I did it." I told him honestly, putting as much truth as I could in my gaze.

He paused, meeting my gaze. "You do not honestly know?"

"I really don't, but…" I paused.

Should I say what I am? Sam told me not to, since it just seemed like something to keep hidden. But as I thought back to the conversation I had with Sam's great-grandfather, a fairy trait wasn't mind reading. I didn't want Eric to get the wrong idea that I was some kind of mystical fairy that would save his world.

I looked into his eyes again as he waited calmly for me to continue. He honestly meant that he wanted me to be calm, didn't he? The gaze that he was giving me wasn't one of anger or even frustration of how I was able to do what no other human has been able to.

"But…I can read minds." I whispered, sort of embarrassed by it now.

His brows furrowed slightly before a slight amused smile began to surface. He tried to hide it, but it wasn't really working. "Read minds? As in human minds?"

"Yes." I said seriously.

The smile began to disappear into curiosity. "Can you read vampire minds?"

I shook my head. "No, I can't. I can only read humans, Weres and shifters. I haven't met any other supernatural as of yet to know if I can read theirs, but not vampires. Never could I read them."

Eric brought his hand up to rub his chin. "Maybe that is why you are able to resist glamour."

"It could be." I allowed because I honestly didn't know why I could anyway.

Eric met my gaze, looking deeper into my eyes. It was like he was trying to see within my soul. He wasn't trying to glamour me, but just look. Finally a slight smirk played on his lips. "There, that wasn't hard to tell me, right?"

I huffed out a relief sigh. "It was easier than I thought. Not many people know that I could do that."

"Who else knows?" He whispered.

I blinked for a moment, thinking over what I should say. "My grandmother knew before she passed and Sam Merlotte knows, but that's it. I am…embarrassed by this."

"The shifter knows?" There was a slight possessiveness to his tone now.

"Well, he sort of found out when I accidently heard something and answered his unspoken question." I told him instantly, not wanting any trouble for Sam.

Eric finally nodded. "Sookie, I want you to keep this among yourself as you have done. Do not even tell your closest friend, as in Tara Thornton. It is something that can cause you trouble it seems if people get the wrong idea. No one wants anyone in their mind is what I am trying to say."

"Oh, you can believe that I don't go around telling people. It's weird enough that I have to hear it. I really don't want to explain it because I really don't understand it myself."

He nodded once more and looked up at the sky. "I think it is time that we head back to the castle now, Sookie. You need to get some rest and possibly still unpack."

"That's…all?" I asked as he stood and held out his hand for my own.

"For now, yes." He smiled. "What? Did you expect something more, Sookie?"

"I…"

Before I could answer, he was in front of me. Our bodies were slightly touching as he brushed the hair away from my neck on the right side. My heart pumped harder in my chest as he leaned down, getting close to my jugular. The voice inside my head told me to protect myself, but I tried to ignore it. This is what a pet does; they give their blood to their vampire. I should be able to do this since he was kind enough to share things with me tonight. It's what I wanted, to get to know him better and that is what he did. He told me things, now it was time for him to collect what we agreed on.

I closed my eyes as he leaned in just a bit more. My mouth opened on its own accord and a slight breathy sigh came up through my throat. Before I knew what happened, Eric laughed throatily. He placed a kiss against my throat where I imagined his teeth would have sunk through and then stood straight.

"I can tell that you are not ready for that yet and I promised I wouldn't push you." His eyes were lit with lust, I could tell that easily. He wanted my blood, possibly wanted my body.

"That isn't what we agreed on though." The urge was too strong not to say that. I would have felt guilty if I didn't.

"What we agreed on was the fact that you would get to know me and in a way I would get to know you as well. Small steps, remember?" He repeated my words in the last statement.

I nodded. "If you are sure."

"I am and so are you." He answered. "If you are worried that I wouldn't get substance, don't. I plan on feeding tonight, just not on you since you are not ready."

"You mean, on another pet?" I asked.

"That is what they are there for." He smirked. "Jealous?"

My mouth dropped. "I hardly know you enough to be jealous and besides, you don't fall in love right?"

The smirk widened. "That is correct, I do not fall in love, but my pets usually fall in love with me for one reason or another."

"Maybe…I don't love either." I shrugged.

He chuckled. "Maybe not, but it would be fun to see what happens. Maybe one day I will be able to make you jealous."

"You sound like it's some sort of game." I accused lightly.

"It seems that way, doesn't it? I guess I am just rather cruel like that."

I couldn't help it, I chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, Eric. Don't go counting on me falling in love with you or even getting jealous, alright? What we have," I motioned between the two of us playfully. "Is a business proposition. You get what you want sooner or later and I get what I want."

"You're using me to have more knowledge on vampires." He said as we began to walk back to the horses. "That wounds me." He joked.

"You will be getting what you want at some point." I hoisted myself up on the horse.

"Which part?" He asked. "The blood or the amazing sex that will make you crawl back for more?"

With a laugh, he bounded off in the direction to the castle. I nudged the horse's side, running along behind him with a grin on my face.


	13. A kiss is just a kiss

**Author's Notes:** Hello readers!

Here we are with another chapter and I gotta tell you, I am dead tired. I haven't slept at all last night since my son woke up too damn early in the morning-in my opinion- and insomnia kicked back in a few weeks ago. *headdesk* It's alright though!

**Quick heads up:** In this chapter Sookie is going back and forth over something, you will notice it later in the chapter. I did this for a reason and I am not crazy, or just wrote that for the hell of it. I wanted it to be that way. I wanted it to seem like Sookie is fighting with what she subconsciously knows, wants and tries to hide from. It goes back and forth. She is fighting herself pretty much, denying what she believes will come out of this, even if she fights against the inevitable. It's just that…inevitable.

I truly hope that I don't confuse you, since I am owning up to this is how I wanted to write that little bit. Lol. If you don't notice that is quite alright too. Lol. Regardless of my mindless blabbing, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Also:** I changed a few things in this chapter, which is why there was another update. A friend and reader of mine told me about how a horse should be treated and of course, I had no idea prior to this. I guess I should start researching more! Lol. I've changed it slightly and hope it works out because I still have no idea what goes into taking care of a horse. It's all very complicated. I've uh, dumbed it down, hushed the horse scene slightly and added some things that I researched because if I didn't fix it now, I probably wouldn't have later. Forgive me if I messed it up or didn't fix it properly. Seriously, I don't know if I got it right the second time. *sigh*

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>The wind felt amazing against my face as I ran behind Eric. I couldn't stop grinning. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. He seemed calm, happy and it wasn't what I was expecting. I was sure he would be asking me a million more questions on my mind-reading but that never came up. I guess he still could ask all those questions in the future, but I really wasn't worried. My Gran had written to me and told me just to be myself and that is what I did. I was myself and told him some important things.<p>

I wouldn't tell him that I came through the portal, not yet at least. I really wasn't sure if that ever would come up since these people are so dead-set on some fairy coming in to save the world. I didn't want them to think it was me. It's crazy. I don't know how or why I was brought into this world, but I was keeping it to myself and that is that.

"You're quite slow on a horse, Sookie." Eric hollered from in front of me, looking back to wink in my direction.

I watched it happen and blushed slightly. We were flirty tonight, more so than I have ever been. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever acted that way. We teased each other about falling in love. We told each other that it wouldn't happen for either of us. I couldn't speak on Eric's behalf but on mine, I don't know if what I told was a lie. Would I fall in love with Eric?

He turned back around then, shooting me another grin as we raced out of the forest and onto open land. The way his blue eyes sparkled in the night, the way his smile seemed so effortless, and even the way his hair flew over his shoulder and rested there was all very beautiful. I caught the fullness of it, the fluid motion, the way it all seemed to be like some dream I was having. I couldn't be sure that I wouldn't fall in love with Eric and truthfully, if I wanted to go out on a limb, maybe I started to love him the first time my Gran told me the story of the Supernaturals.

I was always fond of Eric and always looked up to him in awe, but could I really call that love? No, I guess I couldn't. Infatuation seemed to be a better term and a more sane one at that. Who in their right mind could say they fell in love with a man from a folklore story, even if it turned out to be true?

I shook my head and followed him up the small hill before we reached by the stable once more. As we were coming in, Eric got off of the horse gracefully. I watched as he patted the side of his horse before handing him off to another caregiver, the lady that takes care of his horses after he is done riding them. You had to continue walking the horse until their heart rate returns to normal, put them in cross ties, unsaddle the horse and then get them comfortable again by rubbing them down, making sure to unbridle and then adding a halter, and so much more. It's one reason why my Gran never let me get one, because she knew I would never be able to take care of the horse properly. It's quite a lot of work.

I hopped off the horse too, much less stability and nearly fell over. I gripped the horse's neck lightly and held myself up. The horse must have been very tame, because it didn't buck when I grabbed hold. The horse just sort of huffed in my direction. Before I angered the horse-and I was sure that all animals have a breaking point-I let go and stood on my two feet.

"I'm really sorry about falling on you." I patted the horse lightly, whispering to it.

"Lilly." Eric said, turning slightly after talking to the woman. I was confused until he proceeded. "The horse's name is Lilly."

"Lilly is a pretty name." I smiled gently.

I brought the horse over to the woman who was waiting for her. The woman bowed her head slightly before walking off into a different direction. Eric watched me the whole time, his gaze on the back of my head. I could feel it, feel him hovering over me. As I turned around, Eric moved. He was now standing in front of me, looking down upon my smaller frame. Carefully, I lifted my head and looked upon him as well.

He lifted his hand and placed it on my cheek, his thumb rubbing against my jawline. I shivered from the touch since I wasn't expecting it. I had the urge to lift my own hand and place it against his, but I refrained from the act since I wasn't sure how far would be too far with him. Things were comfortable right now and I didn't want to push it.

"Did you have a fun time tonight, Sookie?" Eric asked, his hand trailing down my neck to rest against my shoulder. His fingertips brushed against my collarbone, leaving gooseflesh where they brushed.

"Uh, y-yes." I stumbled and I knew I did. I simply couldn't think when he was surrounding me this way.

"Are you uncomfortable with me touching you so soon?" His voice was but a whisper now as he leaned into my ear. I think he liked doing that. Teasing seemed to be a big thing to Eric.

"No, it's alright, Eric." I told him gently, meeting his gaze squarely now. "It feels…nice."

"So no man has ever touched you, correct?" He asked, taking a step back, but not letting go of my shoulder.

"Again with this?" I sighed, blushing. "Can you really smell it?"

"Smell 'it'?" He seemed bemused now.

"That I'm a virgin." I said bluntly. It was the best way to just come out with it.

Eric paused for a moment and then laughed, like an outright laugh. I closed my eyes, feeling incredibly stupid. Once Eric calmed he looked back at me. "I'm sorry for laughing, but that was quite cute of you. I should expect that you wouldn't know. Vampires cannot technically smell if someone is a virgin or not. I can tell you that your blood smells purer; most women do when they are still holding onto their virtue. I have no idea why, it has never been looked into. To be totally honest, most of us take a shot in the dark to find out. I could tell since you blushed when I brought it up." He smiled. "Are you ashamed to be a virgin, Sookie?"

I choked on my own spit. "No, I'm not. I'm perfectly proud to be a virgin."

"That is good then." He nodded. "One day though, I hope to be with you romantically since I am sure that would be a wonderful experience, for both of us." He said softly.

I didn't know what to say. How would you respond to that kind of question? I smiled though and stepped closer to him. He seemed shocked by my advancement, but he didn't try to stop me. I didn't know what I was doing, but I was feeling adventurous. If he can flirt, I would hope I can as well. It would be an unfair game.

I brought my hand up and held it in front of him. I stood there, waiting for him to do something, anything, but nothing ever happened. He stared at me carefully, raising an eyebrow. Gently, I put my hand to his chest and let my fingers trail down the material of his shirt a bit. His eyes closed for a mere second, but I caught the act and smiled.

"I've had a wonderful night, Eric. Thank you very much for taking me to that beautiful place. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"Really?" His voice was seductive now. It was a rush that I have never felt before.

My fingers tingled as I felt his muscles shift under the shirt. "Since I'm not ready for sex or you to bite me, then what else can I give you?" I cocked my head to the side.

"That is a very hard question, Sookie." Eric told me. "I've hadn't had someone offer me something so small in quite some time."

He wasn't being sarcastic. I could tell in his tone that he was very curious in what I was asking.

"Well, what is something you haven't done in a long time?" I pushed further on, biting on the inside of my lip. This could end very badly for me, but that didn't matter. I was already too far in to call it off and quite honestly, I liked teasing and flirting.

"I have not kissed anyone in quite some time." He whispered and my heart leaped into my throat.

"Is that something you want from me?" I asked after I swallowed a few times.

"Is it something you are offering to me?" His eyebrow rose again and the grin was back as well.

"I will give you one kiss, if that is what I can give you for tonight. It will be part of the agreement." I offered gently. Truthfully, I just wanted a kiss, a simple peck. It was always one of my biggest fantasies that I've had. His lips seemed so…insatiable, even from where I was standing.

Eric didn't speak, but leaned forward. His hand hugged the small of my back as he pulled me closer, bringing me against his body. He arched me back slightly as he brought his mouth to mine. For a few seconds, he didn't move his lips, but just kept them still against mine. I didn't mind because I felt like I fell into a boat load of heaven. His lips were much fuller and softer than I could have ever imagined as they were against mine. He began to move, creating slight friction against my own. I matched it, creating a rhythm with him as we continued.

Eric's grip on my back tightened slightly effectively pushing me against him more, but I didn't mind. It seemed wonderful as I was next to him. Quickly, his tongue slid over my lip and I knew instinctively that he wanted access. I granted it, but only slightly. This was my first kiss, something I always wanted to share with someone that seemed special to me. Eric was special and I knew that. I always knew he was special to me when I first agreed to be his pet, even before that when I first hear their story, but I didn't quite understand why as of right now. I hoped one day that I would find out and maybe, just maybe we would be able to fall in love, beat the odds. Maybe…maybe I could get Eric to love, but I doubted it. Even if he didn't want to believe such nonsense, his heart was already claimed by the long lost fairy that will come to save this land and I couldn't, wouldn't let myself get too far ahead, but a girl could always dream, right? Hell, this was all just a touch and go subject anyway and I had to view it like that. I was getting ahead of myself, I knew that I was, but why didn't I seem to care? Why didn't I seem to mind if the fairy came and Eric wouldn't go to her and stay with me?

Infatuation. That is what I landed on once again. It had to be infatuation because I would not say that I was in love with Eric. I didn't even know him very well. I had to be sane and logical, but that was throwing me off and into a whole different loop.

His tongue connected with mine, soft and cool against my own. My eyes snapped open for a moment, and in that moment, I noticed Eric was looking at me. His eyes weren't closed like any normal situation where people were sucking face. I stopped suddenly, my tongue just barely touching his own. I then blinked to regain my composure before I backed away slightly, releasing my hands from his shoulders where they were.

I coughed a few times before meeting his glance. He was smiling once again, but it seemed different now, slightly different. I couldn't pinpoint what that difference was, but it was there on his features.

"Do you plan on giving me all of your firsts?" He said after a few moments of silence.

"Uh…"

"You were inexperienced with that as well, but it was still enjoyable, very in fact." He said offhanded.

"Well, I…uh, don't really know what came over me to offer that." I shuffled on my feet.

"Does it matter why? It seemed to be what you wanted at the time, so you went with it. I went with it and we accomplished yet another step in this odd relationship we have."

"Another step?" I asked.

"Yes, in fact it was a big step." He nodded, stepping out of the stables. I followed willingly beside him. "It proves that you are very comfortable with me and that is a good thing. It means that you can trust me, even after telling me of your secret."

I nodded absently. "Yeah, yeah I guess so."

"Is that not the reason behind going for such a move? To see if you could willingly give me a gift?" He questioned. His voice was still slightly off, but I didn't know what to make of it.

"Yes." I lied casually, blowing it off of my shoulder. "Why did you…kiss me back?"

"To test you further." He said a bit too quickly and again, I didn't know what to make of it. "To see if you could move forward, even if it seemed as small as a kiss. A big step over something that seems simple. In a way, I am proud of you, Sookie."

"Wow. It was just a kiss." I chuckled.

"Yes. Just a kiss." He nodded, stepping passed the fountain now.

He stopped at the stairs once we made it there and turned to look at me once more. His eyes didn't give off any indication of any kind of emotion. He seemed to go back into his King mode. That is what I will call it from now on.

I noticed that we were being watched now, not only by Alcide and the other Were at the door, but some of the other pets were watching as well on the ground floor just passed Alcide. He turned to say something and they rushed off in a different direction and after that I thought nothing of them.

Eric took my hand in his and kissed it. "Tonight was the first of many, dearest Sookie. I will see you tomorrow night, but it shall not be as…entertaining. Tomorrow is the night that vampires come and speak, talk about whatever it is that they are doing from different parts of this world. If I had to give it a name, I guess you could call it a party of sorts, but it isn't very enjoyable, for me at least." He paused. "I will have Alcide bring you up a dress that you shall wear for the event tomorrow night. Until then, this is goodnight."

"What about your feeding?" I whispered, gripping his hand tighter in mine.

For a moment, the King mode façade dropped and he smirked. His back was to Alcide and the other Were so they didn't see what I saw.

"As I have said, don't worry about that. I will feed on someone else tonight until you are ready."

"A-Alright." I whispered.

Eric winked suddenly before whispering in my ear, so low that no one could hear what he spoke of. "Don't worry, Sookie. I will not enjoy it in the slightest. Trust me." His voice was serious when he spoke those words, so much that I truly believed them.

I mentally sighed. I was slightly upset that he would feed on someone else. I wouldn't say jealous…but upset. I guess that it did bother me slightly about him feeding on someone else, but I shouldn't feel that way. He needed to eat regardless if it was from me or someone else and since I wasn't…putting out, he needed it from someone else.

I smiled up at Eric. "Thank you for an enjoyable evening, your majesty."

"No, thank you, Sookie." Eric dropped my hand and turned to the doors.

They opened and he walked through. I stood there, watching him go. Something told me in the back of my mind that I was completely fucked because…I knew, just _knew_ that I would fall in love with him, regardless of how I denied it just a bit ago or told myself otherwise. I was lying a lot lately, even to myself and…I realized it.


	14. Punishment

**Author's Notes: **Hello readers!

I hope you are all doing well! Here is the next chapter to Folklore and one that I hope you all enjoy. This A/N is going to be incredibly short since this chapter is quite a doozy. Lol.

I hope you understand where I am taking this toward the end. You will understand when you get there what I am talking about. It had to be done. Thank you to **Team Jane** who came up with that little idea!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

_That kiss. _

I growled. Grabbing the girl and turning her around, I bit into her neck more hard than I had first intended. Of course the pet thought nothing of the harshness of the act, they never do. She moaned against the wall, turning her head to the side to try to get a glimpse of me feeding from her, but the problem was, I didn't want to be seen. I put my hand through her hair and maneuvered her until she was facing the wall once more.

_Those soft lips. _

My fingers turned into claws as I gripped the pet's shirt and hair. I sucked against the wound, pulling her life essence from her very body and yet, it wasn't as satisfactory as I wanted it to be. Her blood was bland and it didn't sit well on my pallet. Of course it would sustain me, keep me from going hungry, but I wasn't enjoying the act like I normally would have. What was wrong with me?

_Blue eyes so much like my own. Shining so brightly that even those eyes smiled. _

I was stubborn. I knew the answer before I even had to think about it. That is where the stubbornness comes in, because I did not want to accept the possibility. The sheer gall of what that could possibly mean. I shouldn't have kissed her. I shouldn't have accepted the offer when it sat before me, but it was tempting. Oh, so tempting. The Viking stirred inside of me as if she threw down a gauntlet at my feet and challenged me. I had to take it, not only because I thought of it as a challenge, but because I _wanted_ to do it.

That spoke volumes on my conscience.

"P-please, your majesty…m-more. Take more!" The pet begged.

Yet, it was not the voice my mind wanted to hear. It was not the sweet, funny, joking voice of the girl that just came into my life. The inner beast that was brewing just below the surface wanted_ that_ voice and it wanted it now. Sookie Stackhouse. Both a blessing and a curse, it seems.

I wanted her blood more than anything. I could just imagine how delectable it would taste, how tantalizing it would be. I thought of it more than I could rightfully say in the past few days that I have known her. Even before tonight when she moved into the castle, but it was all that I could think of. Her blood, her beautiful body. I wanted it. I wanted to ravish her completely. Fill her with nothing but myself.

I've never thought about it like this. It was there on my mind, but it was never this intense. That kiss, that one simple kiss was all it took for my inner self, the darker vampire within my soul to break free and lust for what it cannot have until she is ready. How could I have agreed to take my time with her?

Then again, I knew she was fragile. If I wanted what she had to offer then I had to wait, take my time with her, but that is something I never had to do. Women lined the streets wanting me, hoping to get a chance to spend a few moments in my presence. They wanted the vampire; they wanted the creature that could kill them so quickly that they wouldn't even see it coming. I was used to those kinds of women, not a virgin in many more ways than just one.

It was not a possibility to lie to myself any longer. What I shared with her tonight seemed fitting, like it was always meant to be that way and I did not understand what that meant. I was more comfortable with her than I have been with anyone else in quite a long time. I laughed with her, teased her, and shared deeper scars that I always wanted to keep hidden because it was my burden alone. But with Sookie, it was as if none of that mattered. As if…she was a part of me already and therefore she could see the other side of myself; see the dark and lighter parts of my life that I wanted to keep locked away.

I should have seen something like this coming, but I have not thought it would have been so effortless with her. What truly was odd was that I _liked _spending time with her. I didn't have any idea what that could possibly mean and I would not look any further into the matter because she was just my pet. She was a human girl that I wanted for my own selfish purposes.

I pulled away from the pet. Stepping back, I wiped my mouth as she turned around. I took too much blood. I could see that already from her pale features. The pet grinned though and put her hand to her neck in awe. Yes, I got that look quite often and it never seemed to change regardless if she cared that I saw her do the act.

"I hope your majesty had a fine meal." The woman spoke after putting a towel over her neck.

That was right, I didn't seal her marks. She was still bleeding. "Thank you, Stephanie." I said in a slightly bitten tone. It was not intended, but I was already on edge. I looked up and into the eyes of this pet who looked all too smug. I studied her quite a bit, watching every little thing she was doing. I can read most women and Stephanie was no exception. I would have bet that she wanted to gloat about my feeding on her and hope that it would somehow travel back to Sookie, my new pet. I closed my eyes. The things women do still puzzle me. "Stephanie?"

"Yes, your majesty? Why haven't you left? Do you need something else?" Her grin just got bigger as she spoke. I knew that is what she was planning. She was like an open book.

"Yes, Stephanie, I do need something." I took a step toward her.

"Anything for you." She began to open her blouse, thinking I would have wanted sexual relations with her.

I could have laughed. I gripped her wrist tightly in my hand, removing it from the buttons and pinning it at her side. I leaned over and caught her gaze. "Stephanie, you will not remember that I fed from you and you most certainly will not give Sookie Stackhouse any grief while she is here. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, your majesty." Her voice was dull, smooth. I knew it had worked.

As quickly as I grabbed her, I let her go and exited the room. I had a lot to do before the vampires started to flock to the castle once more tomorrow night.

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

"…Am I supposed to wear that?" I whispered as I looked at the material.

"It's something the pets wear, yes. It's all different varieties, but you get the picture." Alcide answered. His voice was slight amused which totally just made me want to strangle him.

"But…it's practically all lace."

"Yes. It's, uh, flattering for the pets. The vampires like to show off what is theirs." Alcide's tiptoe answer is what calmed me, but I was certainly going to ask Eric about this…this monstrosity.

"I see." I allowed. "There better be at least a slip to put under it."

"There is." Alcide nodded and I sighed.

"Thank all that is holy." I grabbed the dress and turned around to grab the slip that was in another bag Alcide was holding.

I went in the bathroom to change. Slipping on the outfit was a lot harder than I thought it would be. It was beautiful, yeah, but it just wasn't me. Grabbing the pumps, I turned to the mirror to get a better look at what I was dressed in.

The black slip covered me. Well, it covered all the essential parts that I wanted to keep hidden. It was a black lace dress over a black shift with a boat neck collar, crop sleeves, scallop trim and _it was short_. It barely covered my thighs and it didn't even come close to my knees. The lace was very intricate yet delicate, showing quite a bit of skin. I looked…sexy. It wasn't something I was used to and I would have never worn this kind of outfit before, but if all the other pets were dressed like this then I didn't have a problem with it. I have a nice body, I'm not ashamed…or that is what I told myself anyway.

I held my head high as I stepped out of the bathroom and I watched Alcide's mouth drop.

"Pick your jaw up off the ground before someone steps on it." I crossed my arms.

"S-Sorry, you just…wow…okay. You ready?" He was clearly flustered.

"You're taking me down?"

"I'm your escort to the event. Eric doesn't want you to be alone even for a moment."

"Is it dangerous?" I whispered.

"Well, it can be. Vampires are territorial and if something were to happen to you, Eric would have to punish one of his vampires."

"Why?" I asked, shocked.

"Because you are his for as long as he wants you. If Eric sees something that bothers him, regarding you, then there is a chance that he will become territorial. There is also a chance that people could challenge him for you." Alcide chuckled. "But I doubt that will happen, since he is the King and because he is the oldest, meaning he is the strongest of them all."

"Is Eric that strong?" I questioned.

Alcide nodded. "Of course, I've seen him kill before, but that was a while ago. He is ruthless."

I shuttered slightly. "He's a vampire though, some are ruthless."

"Especially if it involves someone they are close to." Alcide added, more amusement coming out in his tone.

I gave him a questioning look. Was I close to Eric already? I hadn't really thought about it. "Right." I whispered.

"You ready?" Alcide motioned to the door and I nodded.

I walked slowly to the elevator, twirling my curly hair over my shoulder as I did so. I was nervous. I was guessing that there would be many more vampires here tonight than at the masquerade since this was a vampire party, or that is what Eric had said. It was something like that, but I doubted that was all it was.

Alcide had filled me in that there were Sheriffs of the land, each in different parts that would watch over the other towns that were not in the circle of the castle itself. Better guarding all in all. I wondered what they would talk about at this party, but I couldn't really say anything. That was another thing Alcide told me about.

I wasn't supposed to just walk up to any vampire and start a conversation. He said that was something that human pets were just not supposed to do. Stuck up vampires was the first thing that popped into my mind then, but I couldn't really say anything regardless. I was, after all, just a pet. I might be the King's pet, but that shouldn't give me leverage over anyone else here.

The doors opened quickly and I took a deep breath before I walked out into the little hallway. Music filled my ears, but it wasn't the upbeat musical pieces that I heard from the masquerade. This music somehow seemed sad and yet, it was still beautiful. It was the kind of music that spoke to your heart and I listened to it even if I tried to ignore it.

Alcide nudged my arm and I looked up to him in confusion.

"You have to go to the King's side. Don't forget to bow in front of him." Alcide whispered in my ear.

I nodded and took a few steps. As I stood behind the balcony that Eric was sitting in on his throne, I looked down upon the main entrance. Wow, there were quite a lot of vampires down there! My heart raced in my chest as I took the last few steps before I was upon Eric. He didn't even spare me a glance and I knew that he wouldn't have when I just walked in anyway. He was back in King mode, therefore his kind and funny side that I have grown to enjoy in just one night would not make an appearance now.

"Your majesty." I bowed and waited for him.

"Sookie." Eric's voice was smooth, seductive.

My knees shook slightly as I stood to my full height and met his glance. He was dressed in a nice black tux with a deep crimson red undershirt. To my surprise the buttons on both jacket and shirt were unbuttoned, leaving his chest wide open for my very own eyes to glance over. I blushed, but I did not dare look away. That might say something bad if I did.

His hair was not in the normal ponytail, but down and hanging. It was even more magnificent than I would have thought possible. I noticed then that our hair color was nearly the same.

"You look…good." I whispered. For just a moment, I thought Eric was going to smile, but it didn't surface.

"You look magnificent, my dearest." Eric grabbed my hand suddenly and held it in his own. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed my knuckles, his eyes darting up to meet mine.

"Thank you for your kind words." I dipped my head and smiled gently.

"These vampires are here for a meeting, Sookie and all you have to do is stand by my side and listen to it for now and then there will be a more…_active_ part of the evening." Eric said, moving his head forward to look down upon his guests.

"Alright, your majesty." I turned around and stood at his side.

A few moments passed before Eric made a simple move, a flick of his wrist and the vampires turned and looked up in our direction. My heart thundered harder in my chest when half of the vampire's eyes turned to look in my direction. Some seemed shocked and I wondered why, but I knew as soon as I looked down at my hand. Eric was still holding onto my hand, rubbing his thumb gently back and forth. That is what shocked his vampire guests, but it still didn't make sense, not really. Did he never hold another pet's hand like this?

I bit the inside of my cheek and waited, trying to calm my heart rate.

"Grayson from Dullamaiden, step forward and tell the King of the new breakthrough in your home town." Pam's voice thundered from my side and I nearly jumped at how close she was.

I turned my head slightly and met her eyes. She grinned at me as the one vampire stepped forward.

"Your majesty." Grayson bowed low before looking up at Eric. "We have finally finished the inn for resting vampires during the day as you have asked. Since Dullamaiden is in the middle of the land most vampires would travel there if coming to the castle. We have already had vampires coming to stay within the last week that it was finally built. Your half of the profits has been brought with me and I have given them to your child as promised."

"That is good news, Grayson. Since the Black Hole rushed through many towns already, there will be vampires that need a new home to stay until they can get back in their feet. You have done well." Eric motioned him back and Grayson moved from the line.

As a few more came up and gone from the line, I looked down upon the area. I didn't get to look over what had changed because I was too preoccupied with how many vampires were actually at the party, but I should have looked at the surrounding area that I was in. Lines of different red, black and gold ribbon were hanging around the room, twirling down from the chandelier. Surrounding the vampires-that were in the middle- was a bunch giant canopy like tents made out of what looked to be silk. I couldn't tell what was below the canopies.

"Your Majesty, the Black Hole has fallen upon Trisfall." A woman's voice caught my attention. The room had gone utterly silent. "It has eaten away the town, but we were lucky enough to get out. It happened last night. There was still some wind left over from the Hole when we started to the castle, but it was basically gone and so was the town." I looked down upon the vampire woman. She had red curly hair and she was dressed in a very elegant old style dress. What caught my attention more was the person hanging on her side, who was also a vampire. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a very skinny figure. She looked very, very familiar to me.

_Hadley… _

My hand twitched in Eric's and it caught his attention. His head moved a fraction and his eyes looked up into mine, but I dared not to move or look back down at him. I could just tell he was still staring at me.

"Has it ripped apart your home, Sophie-Anne?" Eric's voice seemed upset, angry.

He didn't like this Black Hole, nor did anyone else really, but for Eric it seemed all too personal. He was there, he was the King that talked to the witches who told him about his fate when he came to this world. The story he told me last night touched my heart, truly it did. I could see the frustration that he has because he doesn't know how to protect his people from this curse.

"It has taken everything, your majesty. There is nothing left that was Trisfall." Sophie-Anne said forlorn.

Trisfall? That name sounded all too familiar to me too. I nearly gasped when I closed my eyes and saw a sign in the back of my mind. It was the town I went to before; the one where I bought my dress from that nice old woman who was also a witch. Nancy her name was. I felt tears prick my eyes but I didn't let them fall, I couldn't in front of everyone. It might have looked suspicious. All I could do was pray for her safety and hope she made it out as Sophie-Anne and…and Hadley did.

I looked down at my long lost cousin again, who looked as equally sad as Sophie-Anne did. She didn't have a home now to go back to. Did she ever think of us? Her _real_ family? Did she look that upset when she first got to this world? Was she normally happy here like I was? I bit my lip as I watched Hadley swipe her blond hair over her shoulder and shuffle on her feet a bit.

"Then you will stay here until we can build you new shelter, Sophie-Anne. Did anyone else in the town make it out before the Black Hole began to rip it apart?" Eric leaned forward more.

"Yes, some humans. We couldn't stop to help them though, we had to get away. It happened last night, early into this morning. We buried ourselves in the soil before sunrise. We have a few of our possessions with us that we were able to take with us, such as the dresses on our backs, but that is all we have left, your majesty."

"All will be well." Eric told her before shifting to the side. "Pamela, tell the Were guards that some of their men shall go around Trisfall to search for survivors from the town and bring them back to Småstad until we can build in a new location." Eric twirled his sword in his hand, his face thoughtful as I looked down upon him. "Have them also survey the damage that the Black Hole has caused to see if it is getting stronger."

"How would they do that, your majesty?" Pam asked, stepping forward and closer to my side. I took an inch of a step toward the throne. She was getting mighty close all of a sudden.

"It is simple, Pam. If the Black Hole has moved on, have them look into the crater that it would have caused to see how deep of a hole it created. We can tell if it is stronger if the crater is much deeper than the other holes all over Symperia."

"Understood, sire." Pam turned on her heel and left the area. I sighed in relief.

"Is that all we have to talk about thus far in the evening?" Eric stood to full height and I had to take a step forward with him, since he had not let go of my hand. Not once.

"Yes, your majesty." Everyone spoke in unison, bowing before Eric.

I blinked and swallowed the heavy lump in my throat that was threatening to suffocate me as I thought about Hadley and the nice woman Nancy. I couldn't act on anything because it might give away something…_anything_. I was the only woman that knew Nancy was a witch and I didn't want to cause troubles for her if she survived and Hadley…she was my long lost cousin that also came through the portal, but she wasn't the fairy of the legend so they allowed her to stay. She became a vampire and it looked like she was doing well. I couldn't dare speak to her, but could I really act as though I did not know her? Would she know who I was? I might as well just stay clear from her until I know more about things. I sighed.

"Then resume to the party." Eric said before turning.

Eric still hadn't let go of my hand, so I was being dragged where he walked. He was a tall man, so I was basically jogging in heels to keep up with him. He was angry, I could just feel it radiating off of him. It wasn't only anger that was showing, but frustration.

We rounded the corner and he began to pace in a circle. He wanted to be away from the prying eyes of his people, which I could understand. I watched him as he stopped and took a deep breath as though he needed it before he resumed his pacing with me being drug behind him all the while.

That ended soon though because I tripped and slammed into his back. That hurt and I didn't expect him to feel that hard. I made an 'oof' sound into his shoulder blades and felt him tense up quickly. My hand that wasn't behind held by his affectively wrapped around his midsection to keep from sliding down onto the floor. Eric turned slowly, pulling me away from his back and standing me upright.

"I'm very sorry, Sookie. I forgot that you were with me." His voice was strained.

He didn't even realize he was still holding my hand did he? He had finally let it go, but I doubted he remembered he held it the entire time that his subjects were telling him the news of his land. I looked up into his eyes sadly before turning to make sure we were utterly alone. We were.

"Eric…I'm sorry you have to deal with this." I whispered very low, just for him to hear.

He remained silent for quite a while, just looking down upon my face. Finally, his hand came up to cup my cheek, his thumb rubbing against my cheek bone. "Do not worry, Sookie. I am the King and this is just normal procedure for me. I shouldn't have let you seen that."

"No, I understand that it's hard for you to hear. I wish…I wish there was something I could do to save this land." I whispered, feeling tears seep from my eyes. I didn't want them to fall, but they just came. It was more than just me feeling bad for the position Eric was in. It was so much more than that. Between Nancy, Hadley and Eric's frustrations, it got to me.

"Don't cry." Eric's voice grew much softer.

"I-I can't…I can't help it." I shook my head, trying effortlessly to do as he asked, but the tears just kept coming.

"Sookie…" Eric's voice was nothing but a whisper now. "I will find a way to save our world. I am strong enough to deal with the hardships that the Black Hole causes. I am not weak, not in the slightest. Yes, I am frustrated, but there will be a day when the fairy comes through the portal and I will end it all so we can go home."

"Home?" I whispered.

"To Earth…where we belong." He whipped away the stray tears as they fell and to my surprise he leaned in and kissed my forehead. I felt him breathe in as if he was smelling me, but I didn't think of that. I didn't have room to think of it.

All I could think about was home. Bon Temps, Louisiana. Eric still wanted to go back to Earth? Was his reasoning still the same? Did he just want to go back to take over the world that scorned him and damned these people to live in a different dimension? I couldn't be sure and I didn't really know if I wanted to find out the answer.

"Are you alright now?" Eric asked, stepping back to look down at my face. The tears had finally stopped; I had finally gotten control of myself. Eric smirked. "There, no more tears, okay?"

"Okay." I smiled gently.

"Now, it is time for the…party aspect of this before the last part of this meeting." Eric said. "I cannot leave, so you must come with me as you my pet. Don't worry; I will not force you to do anything."

"What?" I asked as he began to pull me to the stairs off to the side.

As I reached the top step I heard something that I thought I would never hear. Moaning. Loud moaning. My eyes grew wide and I tugged my hand as Eric tried to walk down the steps.

"Sookie?" Eric questioned as he turned around to gaze at me.

"What…what the hell?" I hissed in a whisper.

Eric's grin just grew larger. "Vampires like more than just blood, Sookie. I should have warned you. For that, I am sorry. Vampires like to…enjoy themselves with quite a few people."

"What are you saying?" My voice squeaked.

"Come see for yourself. Don't worry, I will not leave your side, but it would look too strange if we did not go down here."

Eric gripped my hand and pulled me to his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. We descended the stairs and I caught full sight of what was under the canopies. There were beds, round beds with multiple people laying out on them. They weren't just sitting there having conversation, but they were in compromising positions. I could have sworn my eyes popped out of their sockets as we continued down the double stairway.

"A-An orgy?" I whispered, gripping Eric's side.

"Yes." He stated simply. "Multiple orgies is the better phrase."

"Oh dear." I shook my head, trying to get the image out of my head of the woman doing a backbend on the bed with a vampire male going at it. I blushed crimson, my face felt so hot. No, my whole body felt hot and it wasn't in a good way.

"Just relax." Eric said before turning when a woman began to step forward to him and me. He held up his hand. "I do not require your services."

"What kind of services?" I asked as the woman turned away, looking all too sad.

"If I had to guess, I would say that she and the three others behind her wanted to join us in sexual acts." Eric said in my ear. I shivered.

"Excuse me?" I said a little too loudly.

Eric shot me a warning look before pulling me over to a bed that was much bigger than the rest. It was meant for him, I was guessing. It was below his balcony. A red canopy tent with a black silk sheet round bed. My heart beat painfully in my chest as he began to open the red curtain.

"E-Eric?" I whispered as he held the curtain for me.

"Just go in, Sookie." Eric said.

I nodded, stepping forward very slowly. When I was at the edge of the bed, looking down at the sheets I froze. I guess I wasn't ready. To be honest, I was terrified. Eric sighed, noticing that I wasn't moving. I turned my head to the side, noticing some of the vampires looking at us. Their pets that had somewhat the same kind of dress as me was also looking in our direction.

Still my feet wouldn't move and I gulped as I looked at the bed. All too quickly, Eric's hands were on my waist and he turned me around. I slammed into his chest and took a deep breath, smelling his beautiful scent. It calmed me, which was odd.

"It's just a bed, Sookie." Eric whispered in my ear, his cool breath tickling my neck.

Then, Eric's hands came up to my shoulders and gently, he pushed me over. I yipped softly as I fell, but I wasn't left falling. Eric's hands caught the small of my back and gracefully lowered me to the bed where he was now leaning over my frame. His body much too close to mine.

"I…"

"I promised I wouldn't make you do anything, remember? I wouldn't make you have sex. I wouldn't bite you until you were ready. Are you really afraid of me?" His voice was everywhere, his body surrounded mine.

I felt too hot as I panted against him. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm…afraid of…of this."

"And explain to me what 'this' is?" Eric chuckled.

"You bending over me. You being so close that I can…can barely take it." I told him.

"What can you barely take? Is it just me being close to you? Or is it something more than that?"

"I've never been in this kind of…position." I whispered, turning my head to the side.

Very subtly, Eric had pushed me up more on the bed before letting the curtain fall back in place, shrouding us alone on the bed. The material was slightly see-through, so I knew people could watch what we were doing.

"I kind of figured that, Sookie." Eric said as he lowered himself back on me. "But if I don't act this way and make it believable, people might wonder what I am doing with you. I don't want them to start asking questions as to why I have a pet that I am not romantically involved with or feeding from for that matter."

"So, it's wrong to just have a normal…friendship?" I whispered, relaxing in the bed more, but I was still stiff.

"Friendship?" Eric laughed softly. Propping himself up, his hands on either side of my head, he looked down into my eyes. "I thought what we have is a business deal? When did we start changing the definition of what we have?"

"I-It just seemed like a better word to me." I tried to shrug.

"It's not normal for a vampire to have a human as a friend. We use humans for our own selfish benefits, Sookie. All vampires might think I am weaker if I just had a human at my side without getting something out of it. They know I have not bit you because you do not bare my marks. They are already asking questions. I don't want them to ask more, if you understand."

"I-I do." I nodded.

The smile on Eric's face began to fade, become slightly softer. "Trust me, Sookie. That is all I am asking. I promised you and I will not push you. I do not go back on my word."

"Okay. I trust you, Eric, I do. I'm just…I'm just nervous. I don't know what to do." I stated softly, my voice holding my embarrassment in its tone.

"You have no reason to be nervous with me." Eric whispered. "Just relax and let me lead."

I nodded.

Eric leaned down carefully, putting his mouth on my neck. Slowly, he moved his lips back and forth against my throat. A kiss was felt, a small kiss on the hallow of my throat as he repositioned himself. I took in a shaky breath as his hands began to travel down my sides before moving back up and repeating. He nudged my knees apart before laying down fully between me. I flushed deeper and Eric smiled up at me, reassuring me that everything was fine.

He put his hands in mine, pinning them against the bed as he towered over me. "You are very beautiful like this, Sookie. It suits you."

"How so?" I couldn't help but ask.

"You being here on this bed with me, your hair in every direction, your cheeks flushed, you breathing in pants and your blood smelling so wonderful. It's suiting because it is what I want most from you. To take you to the edge before I taste your delicious blood. I am looking forward to it."

I took another shaky breath as he leaned down and put his lips against my own. It was soft, sweet and it clouded my senses all too quickly. Before I knew what I was doing, I let go of his hands and my arms wrapped around his back as I pulled him closer to me. Then, I felt something that I didn't expect to feel. Eric growled in my mouth and grinded against my body. I gasped; my head fell back against the bed.

"Did you enjoy that?" Eric asked. I looked up to see a slight smile playing on the corners of his lips, but his eyes burned with lust.

Did I enjoy him bumping my most sensitive part of my body? Yes, yes I really did, but I couldn't come out and say that. I wasn't ready to, but I was also sure that it could lead to much more compromising positions if I did mention it.

Eric got close to my ear and ran his tongue against the outer edge. I bit my lip harshly as he whispered, "Sookie, yield to me." It was in a teasing tone, but it was enough to make my eyes snap open.

Without warning, Eric pushed his hips against mine once more and I did the same thing as before. My head fell back with another slight gasp while my hands fisted the sheets. Eric leaned down pushing his lips to mine quickly and I surrendered. I leaned up and caught his mouth with my own with more force. The playfulness that Eric was going on burnt out and it was just lust and need radiating off of him, but the scariest part of it all was that my nervousness was beginning to fade, but this wasn't how I wanted to do it. Not in front of onlookers and I think Eric noticed that.

Quickly he pulled away and sat up, bringing me up with him. "We need to stop." Eric told me in a husky tone. It sent shivers down my spine.

"Y-yeah. We really do." I fixed my hair as he turned around.

"I need to feed." Eric told me gently, pushing a curl behind my ear.

"You do?" My heart seemed to falter, but I wouldn't think about it.

"I won't drink directly from someone." With that promise, he was gone.

I looked out of the curtains to see that the vampires were no longer looking in this direction. Most of them were now were participating in other orgies. The only people that were even around me was the Were guards that were surrounding the bed with their backs facing me. I guess they came up after we started what…just happened. I sighed in relief, glad that no one was staring at me any longer. Well, I thought I was alone until I glanced at the side to notice that Pam had taken a seat from where Eric was. I jumped slightly.

"Pam, uh, hi." I tried to smile.

"Sookie, you looked wonderful under Eric." She smiled, moving ever so slightly closer.

"Y-You saw?" I choked out.

"Oh, everyone saw that." She grinned. "Do you know what I've noticed? That when you blush or when you are flustered your scent is so much stronger, but what is even a better treat was that Eric didn't notice you had a slight cut on your finger from when you put your arms around him. I guess he was too…flustered himself to notice."

"Uh…" I slid to the other side of the bed and watched Pam as she turned and stalked on the sheets.

"I could control these feelings, but I don't want to. I simply don't. It's more potent and I have to admit that I really want you because I find you quite so tempting."

Her hand caught my ankle and she pulled me down onto the sheets. I didn't have time to scream as she leaned over me. I heard a snick of her fangs as she pushed my head to the side. I opened my mouth to yell, but I didn't need to do it. All too quickly Pam's head was forced away from my throat by Eric holding onto her hair. She hissed as he turned and threw her away from the bed. I watched in shock as she flew into the wall on the far side of the room, cracking it and then sliding down.

My hand cupped my mouth as I watched Eric march away from the bed and grab Pam by her hair, hauling her up to her feet. He then placed his hand around her throat and slammed her into the wall. A growl vibrated the room. I stood quickly only to be held back by Alcide who came out of nowhere.

"You have touched what is mine in the wrong way, Pam." Eric's voice only grew louder.

"She isn't yours yet! You haven't even taken her!" She snarled back.

Some of the vampires gasped as they watched this transpire. Eric was fighting with the woman he created and it was because of me. I tugged against Alcide's grip, but he only grabbed tighter.

"What has gotten into you?" Eric growled.

I could see that his grip only tightened on her throat. My body shook on its own accord. I was frightened, not only because of what Pam had tried to do, but because I was sure Eric and Pam had never fought like this before.

Pam didn't answer as she turned her head to the side to avoid looking at him. Eric stiffened completely before throwing her by the door. Pam slid against the marble before resting against the front doors.

"Tie her up. She shall be shown the punishment of touching what is mine." Eric seemed disturbed when he caught my gaze. He didn't spare two seconds toward me before turning and walking out the front door.

Alcide began to move with me.

"W-What is he going to do to her?" I asked frantically.

"He is going to teach her not to mess with him." Alcide even sounded disturbed.

"They haven't fought like this before have they?"

"No." His answer was swift and nothing more.

"But what caused her to…?" I stopped as I looked at the contraption Pam was now attached to.

Her arms and legs were tied by silver chains and she was hanging in the air. I took a step forward but I couldn't keep moving. It was too shocking. How could Eric do this? To his own child, nonetheless?

"How can he do this?" I turned to Alcide.

"No one is above the law, Sookie." Alcide answered. "Pam almost attacked you and she would have drawn blood if Eric didn't come up in time. We didn't think anything of it as she came up to ask to speak with you. I'm sure us Weres will be punished as well."

"No!" I shrieked.

"Don't worry. It won't be as bad as this. Just a lot of extra work." He tried to make me feel better. I could tell that he was, but I was just too shocked to really comprehend anything that was happening.

* * *

><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

Pamela. How could she have done that? _Why_ would she have done that?

I looked upon my child that was chained in the air, growling and hissing as the silver began to burn her wrist and ankles. I hated to see her like this and truthfully, I was mortified by it. She never acted this way before, never.

"Eric...you are a fucking asshole!" Pam yelled as I took the whip and slammed it across her back. "Seriously, let's just share her, Eric."

"No." I said simply as I pulled the whip back.

It hurt me more than I could possibly explain. I could feel all that she felt, feel the pain that was caused whenever the silver whip snapped against her back. It also made me even more angry. How could she possibly do that? Go against me? Go against the rules that _we _made together?

No one was allowed to bite another vampire's pet unless both that pet and vampire were willing to allow them. Pam did it unprovoked. She must have had a plan to do it. Wait until I leave for a few moments before she swooped in to do it.

There had to be a reason why it happened. It hit me suddenly. Sookie smelled more delicious as she flushed, but I noticed when I rushed back to Sookie that she also had a simple little cut. I could smell her blood in the air. That must have been it. What triggered it. But that brought up more questions that I didn't understand. Sookie's scent could be ignored, but Pam didn't want to do that. She wanted to take what was mine, but I couldn't help but think that there was more to it.

Pam was also close to me, so she could feel my emotions just as clearly as I could feel her. Possibly she was getting all of my reactions and wants and that traveled over to her, making her feel the need to take Sookie even more. I knew she had a fascination with my pet, but…why would she want to go so far to get it?

I shook my head, it didn't matter. The law is the law and even my child cannot go above the rules we have set. I snapped the whip again and heard it cut into Pam's flesh. She yelled and I closed my eyes slightly before handing off the whip to the Were guard standing next to me.

By the time I was done, Pam's back was nothing but cut up flesh and was bleeding heavily. It would take some time before she healed. That was, if I did not allow her some of my blood. Silver causes that.

"We will need to talk privately later tonight after you are cut down, but for now, you will hang out here." I told Pam as I stepped into her vision. "No one, even you, is above the law."

"Shut up, Eric." She huffed a sigh. "I wanted her first, you knew I did!"

"It wasn't your decision. I am above you. You cannot have every little thing your heart desires, my child."

I turned and walked toward the castle. I noticed Sookie shaking violently, her eyes connected to the vampire that just tried to attack her. I wasn't sure if she was still afraid of Pam or if it was because of the damage that I caused to Pam's body. I grabbed her hand as I passed and pulled her in behind me.

"Your majesty…" She started.

"No." I stopped her. "I do not want to talk about it. Right now, we are just going to relax and finish tonight's events."

I saw other vampire's looking at Sookie and most of them were craving her as well. I gripped my shirt sleeve and ripped it. Grabbing Sookie's finger, I bandaged it up tightly before dropping her wrist. Carefully, I leaned in and smelled her. I was astonished to learn that her scent had grown stronger, if that was even possible. I blinked before shaking my head.

Maybe Pam reacted for a different reason than what I had thought. I turned to the front doors and tugged Sookie along with me. There is something odd about her and I_ would_ find out what it is.


	15. Blood

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear readers!

I am back with another chapter! I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to write as nearly as much as I would like. So, I might not update as much as I usually do. (On all of my stories) But I will try to keep it at a normal pace. Promise. :)

Thank you all for your awesome reviews! I tried to reply to everyone, if I forgot you, I am so sorry! I will try better this time around.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

"Come back in. We will act as though nothing happened tonight." Eric's voice boomed around the room and all too quickly, vampires began to swarm back into their places.

Eric sat down on the bed suddenly, dragging me along with him. He didn't even spare me a glance, but I knew it wasn't malicious of him. He was probably thinking about the events that happened with Pam. I shivered once more. The only time that I ever get some form of response from him is if I shiver. I've noticed that he tenses up and grabs my hand tighter in his own. Was this his way of showing me that he is right by my side? That he is there for me?

I couldn't be too sure and I wouldn't look too far into it regardless. Even now, I didn't hate Pam for what she did. Of course, I was more scared of her than I was before, but…she is a vampire. Vampires tend to slip and I had to think about that. The only thing was…why did she slip? Was it because of the cut on my finger? Was that the only reason? I've seen people that bled worse around a vampire. It happened in the bar once. Tara was serving Bill and he did not react the way Pam did tonight. Why…why was I any different?

It brought back all too scary images of Brock on top of me, drinking my blood.

_You…taste different._

I could still remember the surprise in his voice, which only made it more chilling. Why would I taste different than any other human? It scared me, all of this scared me. I didn't know what to think or even who to turn to in this situation. Who could I anyway?

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Eric clear his throat. All the vampires who were busy doing whatever it was they were doing on the beds moved forward to sit on the edge. I watched as a very old woman began to move forward and into the middle of the area. Her eyes were dull as she shifted forward and settled in a comfortable position. What was obvious was that she was a vampire, but...why would someone turn an old woman into a vampire? I didn't ask regardless.

"This is the Seer." Eric stood. "She is the one that painted the art of the Fairy woman that will come to this world and save us. We have all seen the picture, but I don't think any of you have met her. I've called for her to give us an update on the fairy. To show us if she can…_See_ anything."

"Your majesty is too kind." The older woman spoke gently. "My powers are great, but it isn't always concrete and this you know."

"If you cannot show us what we would all love to see, then you can at least entertain us." Eric smiled gently.

"Of course." The woman nodded.

She had a sack on her back I noticed. I watched as she pulled it from her and set it on the ground by her feet. Her hands felt around in the bag, but her eyes lingered around the room. She looked upon every vampire before her gaze settled on me.

My stomach shifted uncomfortably as she peered at me. No one seemed to notice though, everyone was too eager to see what that bag held within it. I couldn't look at her any longer and broke the connection that she held over me. I felt as though she was looking deep within my soul and it frightened me further.

Eric finally turned and sat down next to me once more. His hand found mine and he held it. For the first time, he looked in my direction and I plastered on a smile for him. A small smirk lifted his lips before his head turned back to the woman who pulled out some form of powder substance. There was also some form of basin at the bottom of her feet, but I couldn't see what was inside.

"I noticed you have a new pet, your majesty." The Seer spoke.

"Yes, she is very new." Eric nodded, leaning back further on the bed.

"Such a beauty at that." The Seer smiled in my direction and I nodded to show her thanks. "Now, for the fun part of the night."

Suddenly, she flicked a match into the basin and a wild fire began to roar up. My eyes trained on the fire as if it held all the secrets. The powder in her hand shifted until she put her other hand into the clear glass and grip onto the substance. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the powder into the fire.

It changed colors to a bright purple. A few vampires moved back, whispering. I still couldn't look away though as the fire seemed to take on shapes and forms within. Eric also leaned up once more, intent on the fire as much as I was.

"It seems as though we are getting closer in our quest, your majesty." The Seer spoke swiftly.

"What does that mean?" Eric asked.

"That the Fairy could be getting much closer." Again her eyes snapped to mine for a moment before looking down into the fire again.

She threw some more powder in, this time it turned to blue. "Clarity. Ah, yes. Yes, we are getting closer, your Majesty. Everything will fall into place."

"The Fairy is coming?" He asked.

"If she isn't already here somewhere in Symperia." The Seer nodded.

"Do you think she is here in our world then?" Eric leaned forward more.

"That part isn't clear. I was stating a possibility, but…we are getting so very much closer."

Eric nodded and sat back, gripping my hand as he did so. I gulped gently, feeling oddly aware of everything surrounding me now. Still, I didn't act on anything as I watched. Another handful of powder went into the flames. This time…nothing happened.

I watched as the fire seemed to fade away and I wasn't the only one that seemed surprised by this. Eric stood once more as the Seer bent over the basin.

"Hmm." Her voice fluttered in the air.

"What is it?" Eric took a step forward.

"This is different." She told him. Everything was oddly silent as Eric stepped next to the Seer. "Your majesty, I believe it needs a question to move forward."

"Leave." He said to the surrounding area. The vampires seemed to move at once and leave the area. Some went up the stairs, some went outside. I was about to leave myself when I felt Eric's hand against my own again. He must have run to get to me that quickly.

"Stay with me." Eric whispered.

He gently tugged on my wrist and I closed my eyes before moving next to him. We now stood two feet from the basin. I looked down at the small flicker of fire that was left burning at the bottom.

"Now, what is your question?" The Seer asked, looking up at Eric and I.

"What will happen once I have the fairy in my grasp?" Eric spoke so quickly, so surely. It was as if he always had that question in his mind to begin with.

The Seer placed her hand in the powder once more and threw it into the fire. It raged quickly, so quickly that Eric had to pull us back because the fire grew to magnificent heights in just a second. The Seer moved just in time to stay away from the fire as it licked the edges, sending smoke high above.

The fire expanded further in a rage, turning and twisting in on itself as it began to turn into different shapes once more. It was more defined and I could clearly see two people within the fire. If I could see it, then I was sure Eric could as well.

"Two people." The Seer confirmed; waving her hands slowly out in front of her. She began to circle the basin. The color turned, but it was more than just one this time. A mixture of two colors; black and red. Something told me that those two colors weren't good. "Ah, a mixture; despair and love." She told us.

We all watched as the flames of the two people began to twist and turn. I couldn't take my eyes off of them, what they were doing. The flame people leaned in and kissed passionately and as they did so, the colors shifted. The black began to go to the outer part of the two and the red began to shrink much smaller, shifted to where…a heart would be. The one 'heart' beat wildly, while the other 'heart' stood still. To me it symbolized the vampire and the fairy's hearts. While the vampire's didn't beat, the fairy's did.

I looked at the 'vampire's' heart, which was so bright red that it nearly made me squint. It was beautiful in its own way. Such a bright color of love both of the 'hearts' showed, but I thought too quickly. As the two fire people kissed, the vampire's heart began to grow black within the red. It began to swirl, mixing the colors once again. I opened my mouth to say something, but a gasp fell out instead as the flames flicked on the vampire's side, going straight through the chest of the fairy. The flame hand pulled out the small red heart of the fairy, but what surprised me more was for the fact that they were still kissing. I looked up to the vampire's face to notice that red began to seep from the closed eye of the vampire. The flames flickered once more before they fell silent. With a puff of smoke, there was nothing left in the basin.

Eric was oddly stiff next to me, but I didn't dare open my mouth to speak. I knew better not to say anything when it involved him so clearly.

"Explain." Was his only word.

"Now that we are more alone, I can speak frankly with you, Eric." She spoke gently. "What that represents is part of what the witches told you before you came into this world. What I am seeing in the flames is despair and love and that isn't a very good mixture." She sighed. "You will succeed in what you want to do, but at what cost?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"That you will be nothing without that other half. The tale the witches told were true on some accounts. You will fall in love with the fairy, but with your mind so firmly set as of right now, then you will surely kill her because you think that is what is right. But I have to tell you there may be another…"

"Enough." Eric growled. "I do not want to believe that I will fall in love with the fairy that comes through the portal. How could I? They are the reason we are here in the first place. I don't want to hear if there is another way. I just want to end it."

"That isn't in your future." The Seer shook her head.

"Then I will make it my future." He told her. "I have been damned to this world. A world that is crumbling below us. We must do what we have to do to survive and if that means I have to kill her, then so be it. I will not feel anything like what the flames have foretold."

"But that is not what I mean. This is the second part of the premonition that I have seen, Eric. The first was the fairy saving this world. Where there would be no Black Hole any longer. It has shown that in the painting. You could forget about going back to Earth and live here, peacefully. There is no need for bloodshed."

"No!" He growled. "We do not belong in this world. Even you cannot guarantee that the Black Hole will not come back. It would be safest if we just went back home."

"Home? Do you really believe that we belong on Earth anymore?" The Seer asked.

"That I am not sure of, but it isn't for anyone to decide but me. We will go back to Earth because that is what I say."

"As you wish, your majesty." She bowed and turned toward the doors. Once she reached the entrance and before opening, she turned and looked at us once more. "Even if you succeed in your quest that you absolutely want, then I can tell you this: You will not be happy. You will be nothing without her, Eric. Once you hold her heart in yours and yours in hers -even if you don't want to believe so- you will be connected more strongly than anything else in both worlds. _You _might not survive without her after she is gone. It is what I see and what I see is clear. Think some more of your options, I beg of you."

With that she was gone.

I stood frozen next to a rather stoic Eric next to me. He didn't show any emotion on his face. It was as if he did not understand what that woman meant, but I knew differently. Eric knew and he knew very well.

"Eric?" I whispered.

"Do you believe in what that woman said, Sookie?" Eric's voice came back to me. I couldn't see his face any longer. He shifted until I was semi behind him. "Do you really believe that I am capable of loving something that was the reason my race, other supernaturals and humans were sent into this world?"

"A-Anything is possible, I guess." I allowed.

"Typical answer." He scoffed. "It isn't very common that vampires would fall in love anyway because we feel differently than humans do. How could this Seer-who is also a vampire-see something nearly impossible?"

"I don't believe that anything is impossible, Eric. If it is meant to be, then it will be. No one can really stop what is to come. Falling in love doesn't work that way. It sounds as though you think someone is forcing you to fall in love, when it doesn't happen like that. You…you just fall. Regardless of what anyone else thinks."

"And you truly believe it works like that?" He turned around. His blue eyes pierced mine. I could see conflicting emotions there and one that I could not truly identify, but he looked scared. He tried to hide it, but I felt as though I know him so much already. I could understand him.

"I do." I said firmly.

Eric sighed. "Why don't you head up to your room for the night? We can talk tomorrow."

"I want to know something." I told him.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Why is it…that Pam attacked me?"

He seemed perplexed by this question and took the time to go sit down on the bed once more in the far end of the main entrance. I went by him and sat down on his right side.

"I'm not sure." He shrugged. "She has never acted like this before. I knew she was…_fond_ of you, but I didn't think she would take it so far. You blood was a factor, Sookie. It smells delicious to many vampires, but I can't put my finger on it. I can't describe the scent, because it is nothing that I have ever smelled before. I can't put a label on it, which is different for me."

"Oh." I whispered. Maybe it's because…I am from a different place? I thought wildly.

He sighed again, putting his hand in mine. He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "It's nothing you should worry about…"

_Yet. _I felt as though that he wanted to add that word to the end, but it didn't come out. Right now, I didn't think anything of it. We were all confused.

"Anything on the schedule for tomorrow night, Eric?" I changed the subject. I felt as though I should because that uncomfortable churning in my stomach had returned.

"I would rather just relax tomorrow night." He answered. "If that is alright with you?"

"Of course." I nodded. "I think we both had a lot of excitement for a while."

Eric chuckled gently. "It's time for me to retire to my room. I will call down and have the chef's send something up to your room. It looks as though you haven't eaten all day."

I nearly slapped myself. "I haven't eaten at all today. I just…forgot."

"It happens," He smirked. "Especially when you are with a vampire."

I blinked a few times with that. Did that statement mean more? He didn't say 'when you are a pet of a vampire'. Nope, what he just said was different…at least to me anyway. I looked up at him and smiled gently.

"Eric, I'm sorry for being such a burden." I whispered.

He raised an eyebrow. "It makes everything more entertaining with you around, Sookie. Don't apologize."

Before I could stop myself, I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips. As I was pulling away, he grabbed my wrist and stopped me. I felt something being placed within my left palm. Then, he let go and I stood straight. Looking down in my hand, I noticed that he had placed a key there. My brows furrowed until they shot up to great heights as I remembered something very important, that Alcide had told me.

'_You cannot get up to their floors unless you have their key.'_

And Eric just gave me the key to his room.

"This…is?" I hesitated.

"The key to my room." He confirmed my suspicions. I stared at it for a moment, weighing it in my palm. "All I ask is that you do not come up during the daylight hours, since I will be sleeping and you will not be able to get into the inner door."

I nodded dumbly. "Alright."

"Are you not happy?" He asked, standing up.

I backed up slightly, looking up into his eyes. "It's not that." I whispered. "It's just that Alcide had told me that you hardly ever allow anyone in your room."

"Yes?"

"But…you're allowing me?"

"We have a different relationship, Sookie. We both want something from each other, you know this. You want to know more about me. This is one way to know more about me. To see my home." He told me. "It is another way for me to keep an eye on you. I have no idea why Pam attacked you tonight, but I want to make sure that it doesn't happen again. It would just be easier if you came to my part of the castle."

"Alright." I nodded, stepping forward.

I've gotten so much out of this agreement we have already and he hasn't gotten anything. He has been so patient, so thoughtful of how I would feel if he would push me too far. I pulled the makeshift Band-Aid off of my finger, noticing the thin red line that was on my finger. I brought my finger to my other forefinger and thumb and squeezed gently until some more blood brimmed the surface of the cut.

Eric looked at me oddly as I stepped forward and held it out for him. "Here you go."

"Blood?" He asked, looking down at the cut.

"Just…just a little bit for now." I told him, feeling oddly nervous. In the back of my head, that voice came back urging me not to do this. To not let him get this, but it's what I promised him and…I wasn't afraid anymore. Not with him, not with Eric.

I watched him closely as his tongue darted out, swiping across his own lips. He moved carefully, picking up my hand as if it was the most precious thing in the world. I bit the inside of my cheek as he put his lips against the wound, like he was kissing it away. Eric's eyes closed and a small noise came from the back of his throat, but I couldn't really hear it. I was too drawn to the act of his lips against my skin, as he sucked very gently against the cut. He gripped my hand in his tighter as he pulled away, but he didn't leave without licking the cut.

Eric's eyes were still closed as if he was far away; enjoying the gift I had just given him.

"Thanks for cutting me down, you know!" A new voice erupted sarcastically from the side of us.

I jumped probably ten feet in the air and was then pushed behind Eric. A deep growl came from his chest, rumbling violently. I was not expecting that, even if Pam had come in. I gripped Eric's arm as he snarled again.

"Whoa! I've learned my lesson, Eric." Pam waved off our worries. I sighed. "Besides, I never want to have to go through that again. Oh, the humiliation!"

"Go upstairs, Sookie." His voice was different, rougher, and deeper. "Thank you."

"No problem, your majesty." I bowed, even though he couldn't see it and then I turned on my heel and left them to do whatever it was that they needed to.


	16. What I must do

**Author's Notes:** Hello all!

It's been a while since I've updated. Yes, I know. I've been very busy lately and don't have as much time as I want to have to write chapters for each of my stories. I hope you stay with me though as I continue because I am NOT giving up on any of my stories.

I'm not going to lie though, this chapter gave me QUITE the headache. Okay, maybe I brought it upon myself. :P Any mistakes are my own and trust me...there are probably mistakes in this chapter.

*****PLEASE READ***:** I have just got my own wordpress account. I'm hoping that you will check it out and subscribe and all that good jazz. There I will be talking about my stories, if anyone wants to come and ask me questions, see all there is to see. It's still in the beginnings, but I am hoping that it will become somewhere for you readers to talk to me, see banners people have created for my stories, get spoilers for my stories and all that good stuff and more! Please, take a moment to check it out. :)

You can access my wordpress from my profile here on fanfiction. You will see it, just click on the 'here' and it will take you right to it. Come blog with me! :P

Alright, get to reading. :)

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO—SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

I closed my eyes, taking in the flavor that was so unique on my pallet. So complex and yet, simple at the same time. It filled me with pure bliss, calm and yet territorial. I had the biggest and strongest urge to guard what seemed to be so precious; that it belonged to me and no one else…_ever_.

"You didn't have to embarrass me like that." Pam huffed. "I mean, yeah, she's_ yours_. Alright, I get that now. You didn't have to go all medieval torture on me."

"Shut up." I flicked my tongue, trying to figure it out. Find out what these…feelings were.

"I'm going to have marks on my back for at least a day! And…"

"I said shut up!" I roared, turning around to finally stare at my child.

She groaned a sigh and continued with much sarcasm, "What is it, your most high leader?"

"She tastes…_highly _different." I told her.

Pam grinned. "I told you."

I narrowed my eyes as I turned around. I looked up the way Sookie went and growled slightly.

"It is not what you think, Pam." I avoided her gaze that I knew was staring me down in the normal way that she does. She probably shook her head, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. I knew her very well.

"She isn't the Fae we have been waiting for?" There was so much denial in her voice. She believed Sookie was the one we were waiting for. The one that would save us all.

"No." I answered after a moment.

I still couldn't take my eyes off of the way that Sookie had retreated.

"How can you know, Eric? You even said that she tastes different!"

"She does, but…" I sighed. "I do not need to tell you everything that there is, Pam. My answer was no, that should be enough for you. I think, as my child, you should not have so much defiance in your tone and actions."

"So, you're still pissed at me?" I heard her sigh. "I don't really know what came over me, Eric. That is another reason I believe she is what we are looking for. I wasn't there when you went through the portal. I didn't know everything, just what you filled me in on after we got here, but I remember Fae and how they were irresistible."

"They are." I shrugged. "Though, if you tried hard enough instead of following your instincts, you could have left Sookie alone. The other vampires did."

"Because they would have to face your wrath!" Pam shrieked. "You are the King, Eric. You are the oldest vampire that there is. No one that isn't in your little circle would have even tried to take her, but you cannot tell me that you didn't see everyone that wanted her. If she was alone and they knew that you wouldn't be there for a while, they would have taken their chance."

"I wouldn't doubt that, but my point is, she is resistible." I closed my eyes and licked my lips, taking the last of the flavor I had left. "Enough. I am done talking for now."

I turned without another word and headed up the stairs. Putting the key into the elevator, I ascended to my own wing in the castle.

My mind wouldn't stop thinking, planning. Once inside my door, I locked it behind me before heading over to the library. Grabbing a book and shifting it, I heard a click and the bookshelf slid to the side. Behind it was my armor that I was wearing the night the witches sent me through the portal. Iron armor that would deflect the Fae I fought against.

It was all because of them and anger boiled under my skin as I stared at the metal. There were still specks of blood. Of course, it had crusted and turned a deep brown color as it dried against the shining armor. I killed many in that war. The Fae, beastly creatures that risked and sacrificed our existence because they wanted to walk among the humans. I brought my hand up and let it fall against the metal.

The sounds of the battle erupted in my ears once again. So much screaming and blood. The fairies caused a mass bloodlust when their blood was shed on the soil. Even I, who was older than the rest has such a hard time holding back the urges of draining them all. I struggled, maybe that is why it took almost nothing for humans to find out about our existence. When the Fae's blood was spilt, no vampire cared if we would win, if anyone saw us as we slaughtered.

For the first time in all this time, I thought for a moment if it was more than just the fairies fault. Maybe we were a reason, but that moved passed quickly enough. It would have never happened if the Fae didn't want to mosey around with humans.

My eyes shifted to the side, to the sword that was hanging on a bracket. The blade had rusted, therefore I could no longer use it, but it was important. It was one of my human father's swords so many years ago. It had seen many battles, so many died because of that sword; human and supernatural. This was the sword I dug into the soil as the portal tried to take me, when I talked to the witches.

Grabbing its hilt, I lifted it in my hand. Turning around I guided it through the air, twirling it in my hand in different fighting movements. I gripped it tighter and brought it up to my face, looking carefully as I thought.

My memories shifted to a time when I found the seer the first time. The very first time that she told me of what my destiny was. She and I was the only two that knew the real story. She couldn't tell me everything, but what she told me was enough.

"_There will be two steps to this, Eric. Two very great steps that needs to be done. I cannot tell you all, it is not the time to tell exactly everything, but what I will tell you now is that you will need this Fae, if you want us to survive at all." She spoke gently, pulling out a canvas. I watched as she mixed colors onto a piece of rock._

"_What are you doing?" I stepped forward, looking over my shoulder to make sure we were not being listened to. _

"_Painting our future." _

_She brought the tip of a makeshift brush into the color and then against the canvas. Her motioned were swift, shaky. Her eyes turned dull as she looked up at the heavens and not at what she was doing on the paper. I watched carefully as a scene began to come to life on the canvas. So vivid, so many different things that I didn't understand at first. _

_After quite some time, her hand fell limply and she dropped the brush on the ground. I couldn't take my eyes off of the image that was before me. _

"_What is this?" I pointed at what looked to be a black tornado. So dark, so much evil seemed to emanate from that. _

"_It will be known as the Black Hole and we do not have a very long time before it comes. Some humans might not see it in their lifetime, but we sure will. We are Vampires after all." She spoke. "The witches were telling the truth to you, when they said our world wouldn't be stable. This," She pointed at the blackness. "Will eat away our world, Eric."_

"_The girl…is she the fairy?" I looked at the long blond curls, then up to her outspread arms that were bleeding heavily, but what caught my attention was the light coming out of her hands. I've seen that happen, I've fought and got burnt from when I fought the Fae because they had that power. Power so much like the sun. _

"_She is, but she isn't very clear. I can't read her as well as I would have hoped."_

"_Meaning?"_

"_I don't have any idea what she truly looks like because…she doesn't exist at the moment. I have a vague idea and that is what I've drawn here. The blond hair; that is what stands out to me the most. She will be blond, almost the exact same color as your hair, Eric." _

"_And the man, in the background?" I looked upon the figure that wasn't as defined as the woman. I could tell it was a man, but that was the only defined part. _

_She sighed. "That is where it gets complicated. For you see, it isn't anywhere near the time for it to happen. I See the future, but I've never dug so far ahead. I believe that man is you."_

"_You believe?" I asked. "What? That I will save this girl?"_

"_The future changes, your majesty."_

"_What does that mean?" I asked, looking back at the picture. I was disgusted that I would be standing next to her, seemingly watching over the fairy. _

"_As of right now, you are looking at the scorned vampire that is inside you. The one that wants blood because of what happened to us all. That is the man you see in this picture."_

"_Why would I be looking over her if I am so scorned?" I growled. _

"_That is what has to be done at that time. You need to be sly. You need to _lie_ to this girl." She pointed back at the fairy in the painting. "You need to make her believe that you love her, you need to make _her_ love _you_ for her powers to…activate. She needs to be in love with you, to save us all."_

_I smiled. "I am good at lying. I've very…persuasive."_

"_It's not that simple, Eric." She shook her head. _

"_Then tell me what I have to do when the time comes." _

"_She has to give all of herself to you. She has to give up her innocence for her to gain all of her Fae powers to make the Black Hole disappear."_

"_Her virginity?" I chuckled. "I haven't had a virgin in quite some time, Mae."_

"_You won't have her for years to come, regardless. This will take time, there is no definite answer to when she will come through the portal, but she will…one day."_

"_I will wait…for as long as I need to."_

"_You still want to go through the portal once more?"_

_I paused for a moment. "Of course I do. I will wreak vengeance for what the witches have done and this Fairy is the step I need to accomplish that, but when the time comes, how will I help us go through the portal?"_

_Mae turned around and blinked. I watched her close her eyes and she shook her head quite a lot. Putting her hands on her head, she fell to the ground. I watched as blood began to seep from her nose as she hissed. I knelt in the soil, putting my hand on her shoulder to steady her as she went through this. _

"_It's so dark." She gasped. "It's too far in the future, but what I see is that there is a Cluviel Dor involved."_

"_Ah, the one wish for a loved one trinket." I nodded for her to go on._

"_Yes. She has to be in love with you for you to cease your chance. It's different though. This trinket; the one that she will possess. You will have to change what the trinket stands for. If you make an act of hatred, it will still work, which is beyond even my explanations. These trinkets weren't meant to be that way." She sighed. "Betray her and you…you will get your wish. It will be filled with darkness, making you evil…"_

"_I am already evil, Mae." I shook my head. _

"_Your heart is the key." Mae's voice was much softer. _

"_Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow. _

"_No, not you. I heard it. The fairy's heart…is the key?" I watched carefully as Mae's eyes widened and she gasped once more. Her eyes met mine in a rush. "The Cluviel Dor…will be placed in her heart. They…they will put it inside her heart to hide it and in doing so it will hide most of her powers. It will make her nearly unnoticeable toward us, in hopes that we will never succeed in getting what we want." She reached up and grabbed her blouse, right over top of where her un-beating heart was located. "The witches and the fairies will make it so. They will gather together and put the trinket in her heart when she is just a newborn. That is what will change the meaning of this Cluviel Dor, making it so that not just a fairy can work the magic the trinket holds, but…you still need to have her love you for you to take it. They will believe that there is no other way of keeping her hidden from your grasp. They will overlook the downsides to what they will change within the Cluviel Dor, just to help her hide more in her own skin." She grabbed her head and shook it. "It's all complicated, Eric; too complicated and too distant in the future to know more at this time."_

"_You have done well for me, Mae. I owe you." I helped her hand and steadied her on her feet. _

"_I will keep that in mind, Eric." She tried to smile, but her body was still slightly shaken from what she tried to See._

_I looked back at the painting before turning to look at her once more. "Mae, do you believe in what else the witches said?"_

"_Which part, your majesty?" She whispered. _

"_That I will fall in love with this." I pointed at the girl. _

"_It's too far, Eric. I…couldn't see that, nor would I try at the moment. Now is not the time to learn more."_

"_So all I have to do is make this fairy love me, take her innocence, let her defeat the Black Hole with her Fae powers and then…?"_

"_Then, rip out her heart and wish for us to go back to Earth." She looked sad for a mere second. _

"_What is it?" _

"_Nothing concrete as of right now…and nothing I can share with you at the moment regardless." She looked into my eyes. "When the day comes, if I ask you to think of your options, please listen to me."_

"_Mae?"_

_She waved her hand. "It's nothing…just a feeling that I have."_

"_If you say so and since you've done me a great deal, I promise to think of the options. Even if I don't know any other options and probably none that I want to do anyway." I smiled and grabbed her shoulder in my hand. "Thank you, Mae."_

"_Don't mention it, Eric."_

I blinked and shook my head. The future does change because what Mae had told me tonight outweighed what she said back then. Mae told me tonight that I would fall in love with the fairy and I would be unhappy if she died.

I watched the flames as the vampire ripped out the heart of the fairy tonight, I knew that I would accomplish what I have always wanted to succeed at, but the tears that seemed to fall from the vampire's eyes struck me. It made hatred boil up in my veins, burning as I thought about it. There was no way that I would fall in love with the fairy, I couldn't.

I rubbed my face and flicked my tongue against my lip once more to see if I could taste Sookie's blood once more. It was long gone, making me crave more of it. I was so close to getting what I wanted, but I had to tread carefully because I could not risk falling in love.

I knew what I had to do if I wanted to save this world and get back to Earth. I knew from the first time I spoke with Mae. Make the fairy fall in love with me, take her innocence, let her defeat the Black Hole and then I would kill her by ripping out her heart and taking the object inside of it.

No one knew that conversation I had with Mae. They've all seen the picture that she painted, but they have never heard the story behind it. Not even Pam knew.

Could I really do this? Could I go through this progress of taking everything from the Fae girl? I would be taking everything important; her love, virginity, and her heart and using it for my own selfish reasons. Could…could I really do that to her?

She lied to me on more than one occasion if I wanted to be honest. In just the short amount of time, she was never honest with me the way I was with her.

So, of course I could and…I would.

"She's different." I whispered. "So cunning they were, hiding half of her true self by using a magical trinket in the wrong way. It made me look passed nearly everything that was staring me in the face to begin with." I let my fangs run out in what I believed was anger. "Her blood; I knew it, the moment I tasted it. I knew that she wasn't just a human. I would have never thought I'd be dealing with a hybrid."

I flicked the sword, growling deeply in my chest. I turned and sent it flying into the mirror in the other room. Pieces of glass flew in every direction as if an explosion occurred. I walked slowly to the pieces lying on the ground and looked down within them.

I lied to Pam just a bit earlier, but with good reason. I didn't want anyone to know yet because I still had to play this all out, the way it needed to be done; by using the girl. I wouldn't tell a soul, not now. Not until I was absolutely certain, but I knew without a doubt…

"Sookie Stackhouse is the one I've been waiting for."

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><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Alright, I've been pretty successful with this before, but since I have awesome readers, I thought I would try it again. If you leave me a review, I will send you a sneak peek for the next chapter.

If you do not want a sneak peek, put that in your review so I know to skip over giving you a teaser.

Thank you, everyone!

*Hugs*


	17. Night in his room

**Author's Notes:** Hello readers!

Okay, this chapter isn't as long as I wanted it to be, but I thought that was a nice place to stop. Plus, I thoroughly confused myself with Hadley and Sookie's age when Hadley disappeared. I have no idea where I learned to do math, but it just isn't adding up as it did once before. Lol. So don't mind that. Just follow along and look over my small plot holes. :P Okay, I tried to fix some, but don't know if I was very successful. :P Forgive me.

Alright, onto the chapter!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>Eric was quiet the whole time we were walking around in the garden of roses. Most had started to wither away now, since the season began to change. I tried to talk, but nothing ever came out of my mouth. I was sure that no matter what I said, it wouldn't take that scowl off of his face. Well, I guess I couldn't call it a scowl, not exactly. He seemed calm enough, but there was just something about the way he held himself, the way he seemed to be thinking; it wasn't normal, even for him.<p>

"Eric?" I whispered as I sat down at the edge of the fountain. I let my hand touch the cooled water as I thought about what to even say.

"Yes, Sookie?" Eric stood in front of me, his eyes never meeting my gaze.

"Are you…okay?" I asked, looking up toward his face. He was so tall that I couldn't make out his features anymore with the way I was sitting.

"I am perfectly fine." He finally took a step back and put his hands behind his back, linking them that way. "Sookie, tell me where you are from again?"

"D-Don't you remember?" Ah, shit, I stuttered. I bit my lip before smiling. "Dashguard. I'm from Dashguard, where everyone dislikes vampires."

"Ah, yes. That was the name of the town you told me at the masquerade. Such sorry people usually come from there. From a place that…_dislikes_ vampires. A place that…if they had enough power, which they do not, would try to kill me and my followers so they wouldn't have to _deal _with vampires any longer."

"Uh…" My brows furrowed. Just what the hell is he talking about?

"But do not fret, dearest Sookie. That has nothing to do with you. You are different as you have stated. You wanted to get to know the vampires, because you find them fascinating, am I correct?"

"Of course, your majesty." I nodded.

"You don't have to be so formal. We've had this conversation quite a few times as of late." He chuckled, smiling down at me for the first time since we came outside. I sighed in relief.

"Is something happening with Dashguard? Are they…being mean to you?" I was confused beyond belief where his statement came from.

"No, not in the least. It just gets under my skin to know that I have traitors living in my midst…even if they live a little while away." He spared me a pointed look and one I did not understand. "It is…_frustrating_ at times that I cannot act on things as a normal vampire would do."

"You have urges to…?" I was edging him into talking. I didn't like the look that was on his face. The utter thought of something bothering him…bothered me.

"I really don't think you want to know, Sookie. That is part of me…" I cut him off.

"No, I want to know. That is what I agreed to, remember? I want to know everything about you and you can trust me to keep those secrets."

His eyebrow lifted and I was sure he was going to laugh at me, but he held it in before becoming serious once again. He sat down to my left and grabbed my hand in his.

"I have urges to kill, more so than I have in a long time. I'm…thirsty for the kill. To drain someone dry and hear their screams of pain." I shivered as his fingers traced my arm back and forth so slowly. He dragged his nails against my skin, but it didn't hurt. He wasn't trying to hurt me. "I have become very tame since I've come through the portal. Only killed a few times when necessary, but vampires…we like to kill. It's instinct and no matter how old you are as a vampire, those never fully go away." He pushed his finger underneath my chin and made me look into his eyes. "Does it bother you that I am a bloodthirsty killer, Sookie?"

"N-No." I promised.

"You seem frightened right now. Why is that? Is it because you are afraid that I will end up killing you from urges?"

I shook my head, turning it to the side to look at the water. "It's not that you frighten me, Eric. It's just that…I can't image you being like that. Like the way Brock was the night he nearly killed me. I know you know that I remember that, since I've told you about my telepathy."

"I was much, much worse than Brock was, Sookie. I was warrior and the thrill of killing was what I lived by; as a vampire and a human. I was what they called a Viking and my human father was a King. I was born into royalty to begin with. We raided villages for the fun of it, but it is so much different than a vampire. In my human years, I felt guilt at times, but being a vampire…I never, ever felt guilt for killing a human. They were as I thought, below me. They were my source of food, nothing more and nothing less."

"Why did you agree to tell me all of this?" I was curious, not that I didn't want to know him, but it was surprising that he actually opened up this darker part of himself.

"Because you wanted to know." He shrugged. "I feel as if I can tell you things like that and not expect you to run away from me. You don't seem like the type of woman to run, even from the most dangerous person that there is."

I chuckled. "I'm frightened of many things, just not…just not you."

"That is the craziest thing I have ever heard." He smiled more brightly. "You really aren't afraid of me, are you?"

"No." I whispered. "…Should I be?"

His grin only widened. "No."

I smiled back at him as he pulled me up to my feet and moved us around the area. We guided down the path together silently, but it wasn't uncomfortable for me. I didn't know about him, but he seemed more relaxed than he was.

To the left came two shadowy figures and I froze on the spot. I noticed who was coming and so did Eric. He stopped us suddenly and surprisingly to me, he pushed me behind him carefully. No one else would have noticed the act from looking on, but I noticed and that didn't seem like a good sign. I held a breath as a red haired and a blonde haired woman moseyed down the path, obviously coming in our direction.

"You know, Sophie-Anne, when I said you could stay here at the castle, I did not mean that you could come in my personal garden."

"Such a lovely garden that it is." Her wispy voice sent a shiver down my spine. I have no idea why, but it was there. "I rather love it when the roses start to die; to me they look more beautiful that way. In death, or leading to death."

"I'm guessing you did not understand the territorial tone in my voice. This is my personal space and I don't like it when people come into my personal space."

"You are acting like a drama king, Eric. I just wanted to go for a walk and didn't want to see anyone else. I had talked with your guard and he thought it was just fine."

"Alcide wouldn't have allowed that. He knows this is Eric's place." I said before I could stop myself. I just jumped off a very high cliff with no parachute. Eric tensed slightly in front of me, casting me a narrowed eyed look over his shoulder. Pets weren't supposed to speak that way to a fellow vampire friend of the King. We were meant to be seen, not outspoken.

"Ah, this is your pet? I believe it is the girl I saw the night before on your arm and it's even clearer since she used your first name without you being upset by it." She winked at Eric before turning back to me. "It was unfortunate that I did not get to rightfully introduce myself when we first met." She stepped forward slightly, moving around Eric to see me more clearly. "You have such beautiful eyes to match that beautiful attitude. I enjoy a girl with those qualities."

"I'm sorry." I whispered, casting my eyes down to the ground. Sophie-Anne was a high ranking vampire in Eric's followers. I stepped out of line and I wanted to keep my head attached to my shoulders. It seemed only fitting to apologize.

"No need for that, dear." Sophie-Anne gave me a crinkling smile, one that scared the shit out of me. She seemed different than I saw her last night. "What is your name, pet?"

"Uh, Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse, ma'am." I curtsied in front of her, but as I bent lower, she began to lean in. Eric was quicker, pulling me back up and pushing him behind his back more.

"Sophie, you're edging over the line. If you do not remember, I punished Pam. I will punish you as well, if you get too close."

"Oh." She looked up at Eric. "You must care for her a great deal since you don't want anyone to be in the same air as she. What I don't get is why you haven't…taken her. She looks like she could be a wild child in bed." I gasped, covering my mouth as I blushed deeply. I looked away so I didn't have to see Sophie-Anne's creepy smile. "Are you a prude, Sookie?"

"Enough." Eric cut in. "Do not toy with her."

"It's just all in good fun, really. I'm sorry if I offended." Sophie-Anne waved her hand as if that would take all of what she said back, but, it didn't. Not to me. "Speaking of pets, I would like you to meet mine. Well, she was once my favorite pet, now turned into my protégé. This is Hadley and she is very special."

I couldn't even look at my cousin, for fear that she would recognize me, but then again, I was so young last time I saw her. Plus, she wasn't the brightest crayon in the bunch. I sighed and looked up. Hadley only smiled in my direction, waving casually as she looked back and forth between us all.

"I'm Hadley." My cousin said gently. Her voice was still the same, still soft with a raspy tone mixed in. "Everyone knows that I came through the portal, but unfortunately for the vampires, I wasn't the fairy. But I guess I am fortunate regardless, because I didn't have to die when they first met me." She giggled at her own really bad joke. No one joined in.

I looked into her eyes, which were slightly different from mine. She was still skinny, but not nearly as unhealthy as she was when she was on drugs. For a whole year, right after her mom died, her weight had gone down dramatically and then one day, she disappeared only to be brought out here. Did she ever think of her dad, her mom? Or was she truly happy to be here and be what she is? The smile on her face told me that she was happy, but was I happy for her? I was happy that she wasn't on drugs anymore, but that was about it.

"Why don't you two go play?" Sophie-Anne requested of Hadley and I.

"Well, I was spending time with his majesty." I looked up to Eric.

"You have given her freewill to decide what she wants to do in front of you?" Sophie-Anne giggled. "You _really_ must want something deep from this girl. She does smell delicious. I could definitely see why you are protective."

"Sookie, run along while I talk to Sophie-Anne." Eric told me without looking in my direction. "Hadley, you take one bite and I will end you."

I flinched and so did Hadley, but I was surprised that Sophie-Anne didn't do anything. She just smiled. "Run along, Hadley and do as our King asks."

"Yes, sire." Hadley whispered before holding out her hand to me.

I hesitated before laying my hand in hers gently before moving through the fields. I stayed quiet the whole time as we walked, moving by the giant hedge. Hadley pushed her fingers against the dying leaves, running her hand over them as we moved forward. She turned her head to the side, looking over her shoulder. I followed her gaze to see that Eric had his hands folded over his chest and Sophie-Anne was sitting next to the fountain, exactly where I was not long ago. She shook her head as Eric said something and then laughed, but I didn't get to see any more as Hadley tugged on my hand.

"We're far enough away now." She smiled before setting down on a bench that I didn't know was there. She tapped the seat next to her and I took it carefully.

"So, how long have you been a vampire?"

"Five years. I was nineteen when I was turned. I get to be young forever. If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?" She smiled gently.

"Twenty-three." I whispered. "I'll be twenty-four in about a little less than eleven months. I feel old."

"Oh, you're not old. Just because I don't age, doesn't mean that my age number doesn't go up still! I am older than you, so don't feel bad." Suddenly, she looked back up and into the direction that we came before she huddled closer to me. "Good, they are too preoccupied now." She murmured.

I tried to back away because I had no idea what she was doing. She only got closer and I opened my mouth to scream, but she placed her hand over my mouth to quiet me. My eyes held terror as she leaned into my ear.

"How's Gran, Jason and my dad doing, Sookie?" She said so softly that I barely heard her.

I breathed out in a rush; it collected on her hand that was still against my mouth. She slowly pulled her hand away, pushing her one finger to my lips in silence to tell me to keep my voice down. I followed her example and kept quiet.

"How did you know?" I whispered so gently.

"Come on now." She smiled. "Only I could remember the smell of my kin. It is weird. I just knew it was you. Plus, you're really odd name didn't help any. Look at you, all grown up!"

I couldn't smile back at her anymore. "Have you told anyone that I came through the portal?"

"Oh, heavens no! I wouldn't wish that on anyone, especially you. I was so scared when I first came here because they thought I was the fairy and since you are my kin, you can't be a fairy either." She shrugged. "I mean, why would you be a fairy and not me?"

"You're right." I nodded. "I'm not a fairy, but I need you to promise me that you will not tell anyone, Hadley."

She gave me a sad glance. "If I was going to tell someone, I would have already done it. Besides, I pulled you away from them for a reason, you know. I didn't want them to hear me."

"But, Sophie-Anne is your sire." I said gently.

"But you are my family. The only real family I got here. I was so happy when I looked at you because I just knew it was you. You hardly changed a bit."

"We hardly saw each other when we were in Louisiana." I shook my head.

"I know and for that I am sorry. When we were younger, we used to hang out, but after mom died…" Her eyes grew sad. "It changed me and I got into drugs, which I am sure you know. After a year, almost mom's anniversary, I was outside Gran's house, by the graveyard, you know?" I nodded for her to continue. "I was coming to ask Gran to help me get off drugs, but I chickened out. Dad wanted me to come home early that day, but I never made it. I saw what looked to be an opening and it dragged me in. It was by a tree, I remember."

"Just like me." I whispered.

"Sookie, I am real sorry that I wasn't the cousin I should have been, but you're here now and I hope to change that."

I looked at her somberly for a moment, wondering if I could trust my own cousin. I really had no other choice in the matter, but she was all I had here. She was the only family that I have and maybe the only one I will ever see. I smiled very lightly, it was thin and hardly there, but I tried.

"I hope so too, Hadley."

"So, how was everyone back in…?" She asked, but before she could finish she turned her head to the side and stood. "We'll talk again soon. They're heading this way." She whispered in my ear before striking up a whole different conversation from the one we just had. Something about bears, but I wasn't really listening.

"Are you ready to go get ourselves a meal, Hadley, my love?" Sophie-Anne smiled as she moved next to my cousin. She intertwined their fingers before pulling her away from me. "I hope to see you soon, Sookie. It was nice to finally get to speak with you."

"Bye, Sook." Hadley waved. "It was also nice to meet you. You are a very lovely girl."

"Thank you." I tipped my head, playing the game before moving next to Eric. He didn't speak as he put his hand in mine and intertwined our own fingers. I blushed gently, feeling my heart pick up pace slightly.

"Did you have fun talking?" Eric commented as we got next to the elevator, in the castle.

"Yes. Hadley seems like a very nice girl…err…vampire." I corrected myself at the end with a grin. Eric smiled as well, but his was not as bright as mine. He seemed tired. "Are you alright, Eric?"

"I'm hungry." He said swiftly.

"O-Oh." I whispered, looking around. It seemed as though all the pets were with someone else tonight. There were still quite a few vampires staying that didn't have a place after the Black Hole had hit their homes.

Eric looked over me once more. He brought his hand up and pushed my hair off of my right shoulder. At the same time, his fingers brushed along my neck. It sent a tingling throughout my whole body as I gazed up at him. His eyes showed hunger as he looked at my neck; he even licked his bottom lip before biting on it casually.

"Will you come upstairs with me, Sookie?" His voice was so warm, so inviting that it made me close my eyes for just a second.

"Y-Yes." I whispered. I was more nervous than scared, before I would not have done agreed to it, but I felt as though I knew him better. This is why I was here, after all. I always have to tell myself, plus, it didn't help my conscience that he looked so starved.

He gave my hand a gentle tug, pulling me into the elevator with him. I watched as he placed his key in the lock and turned it to the side before the elevator began to rise. With every inch we moved, my heart beat harder in my chest. He was going to drink straight from my neck, wasn't he? Would it…would it hurt like it did with Brock? Would he want more than just blood? Sex and blood goes hand in hand with vampires and I wasn't ready for sex.

The elevator came to a stop and I walked numbly behind him. I took a deep breath as I heard the key to his other door click loudly. It was like that was all I heard, but then the door was open, showing me the most beautiful home that I had ever seen.

The walls were a deep shade of red, so thick. His place looked like mine, had the same set up, but was totally so much bigger. I looked in the kitchen as we passed; it was huge, even though he hardly would use that area. We walked into the living room and everything looked like something out of a medieval fairytale.

Everything was carved by hand, the couches were made of wood, and the chest sitting in between them was carved beautifully out of solid oak. His fireplace took up nearly the whole wall, with a fire already blazing. There was a painting overhead of a landscape, but it didn't look like it was from this world, but a landscape from Earth. He was a Viking, maybe it was somewhere in Sweden or somewhere he had been. I would guess that he painted it himself, since I saw art supplies in the giant library.

He walked to the double doors and opened them, showing me his bedroom. His bed, wow, his bed was huge. It was a four-poster canopy bed, made of oak. He had the whole nature thing going as well. The posters were carved in vines that reached the whole way up and down. It was even more decorated than my bed. He had black silk sheets and black curtains that were tied up to the top of the canopy.

"Sookie?" Eric asked in the darkened room. He went around the bed to light a few candles that were sitting on the night stand. It lit the room slightly, but not nearly enough for my own eyes. Maybe that is what he planned.

I looked to where the balcony would be to notice that there was metal over them. It was to keep the place light tight and since the sun would be up soon, he wouldn't be opening them.

"Yes?" I whispered.

"Come here. Don't be afraid." He sat gently on the bed, patting the spot next to him for me to take and I walked carefully next to him.

"I'm not afraid, just nervous." I waved off his worries with a hyperventilating giggle. That didn't help my cause whatsoever.

He smiled gently as he guided me to my seat beside him. "Nothing to be nervous of. It is just me, after all."

"Yeah." I smiled back.

"Relax, alright? It will hurt if you don't." He told me.

"Won't it hurt regardless?"

"No. It might even be…pleasurable for you, if you do as I say."

He waited for me to relax before he grabbed my wrists and put them above my head. He held them up before shifting to only hold them by his one hand before he gently pushed me back on the sheets. I took a deep breath as I felt him slide next to me and lay down against the sheets. His hand was still holding mine above my head, but soon enough he let them go, running his fingertips along my wrist, my elbow to come to a stop at my shoulder.

Eric shifted again until he was slightly towering over my form, looking directly at me. His eyes sparkled with a hint of lust. He was finally getting what he had desired. He was actually getting to bite into me, take more than just a prick of blood and I was allowing it.

His hand moved up to my chin, pushing my head to the side until I was looking at his shoulder. He carefully leaned in and I tensed. He stopped instantly, an inch or two away from my jugular.

"If you are uncomfortable, Sookie…"

"No." I told him. "Please, you look…so hungry."

"Relax." He whispered in my ear before his lips connected with my neck.

He placed open-mouthed kissed back and forth, up and down across my neck. I shivered as I felt his tongue connect with my skin as it too joined in the mix. Before I knew it, I was as relaxed as I ever would be. I closed my eyes as I heard a faint snick, but he didn't bite right away. He grazed my neck with his teeth, not hard, but enough to create two small scratches. I could feel it.

His tongue lapped at my skin and I heard him groan. I put my hand on his chest as he leaned over more. His hair fell against my hand and I twirled the end in my fingers. It was so soft to the touch; it distracted me for a moment before I felt the initial bite. I tensed quickly, but Eric brought his hand to mine and held it, running his thumb against my knuckles. I don't know how he reached my hand, but he did and I was thankful. I held it tightly, trying to relax once again and after a few moments, I did.

I felt warm, so very warm. My body tingled from head to toe as he slowly sucked against the wound he created. All the while, he was growling soothingly. It wasn't a fierce growl, but more of a soothing song, only he could sing. I smiled as I began to feel something I've never experienced in my lower regions. Pleasure? Was that what it was? All I knew was that I need more…I needed…_friction_.

I squirmed slightly, but it was enough to get Eric's attention. With one swift movement, he was lying above me, holding his weight off of me as he lowered himself down. It was like he knew what I needed most, knew I needed the friction as his hips began to grind against mine. Before I could stop myself, a whimper escaped my lips to meet his groan. He licked my neck before placing his mouth on the wound, giving it a powerful suck this time.

My back arched off of the sheets, into his chest where he was towering over me. My eyes rolled back as my hands wrapped around his neck, pushing my hips up to meet his.

I clearly lost my mind. I didn't know what I was doing, didn't even know what was really happening, but it didn't matter. I just _needed _more of it. Something was building, something I never experienced either, but knew what it was and I let it happen.

As he grinded against me, I let go and fell into oblivion, jumped over a cliff, became a wave that was crashing against the shore. I had my very first, real, orgasm and all Eric did was bite me and rub against me slightly for me to achieve that.

I laid panting, with my eyes closed. Eric soon released my neck, licking it gently before he pulled back. He sat in between my legs and looked down at me.

"You've quenched one of my thirsts tonight, Sookie, but I doubt that you will be ready to quench the other." He spoke gently, yet his voice was rough.

"What is the other?" I asked, dazed beyond belief.

He raised a brow before looking down at himself. I followed his gaze to notice that…he was standing at attention. It looked…big, even if I just saw it thorough his pants. I blinked, coming back to reality as I looked up at him.

"I know that you are not ready for that and I want you to be absolutely sure, when the time comes. I don't want it to be through a haze of lust." He smirked. "But when you are ready, I want you to yield to me."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I nodded and pulled myself up into a sitting position. My hand went up to my neck to feel for the wound and there it was; two small hole punctures in my neck. It wasn't bad, no, it was…wonderful to feel the way he made me feel.

"Should I…go now?" I whispered in the darkened room.

Eric was silent for a few moments as he looked around the room. It looked as though he was thinking, but I couldn't be sure. Finally, his eyes swept to mine again. "Stay with me tonight."

"You want me to stay here with you?" I asked. "But the sun is going to rise soon."

"I trust you not to kill me then." He shrugged. After a few moments, I heard something that I never thought I would. "Please stay?"

I blinked a few times and then felt something akin to butterflies flare up in my stomach. I was excited, but was I ready for that? Well, I just shared a very romantic moment with him and to be truthful…I didn't want to leave. I smiled.

"Alright, Eric, I'll stay."

"Good." He smiled as he laid down on the bed. He took off his shirt and threw it off to the side of the room and held out his arms to me.

Carefully, I crawled on hands and knees next to him on the bed and laid down. He pushed his arm around my waist, and pulled me against him. For quite some time, I stayed awake, just listening to my own breathing before I fell into a very peaceful slumber.


	18. Hell of a day

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear and awesome readers!

We are back with another chapter in this story and I really like it.

There are probably a MILLION spelling and grammar mistakes in this, but I didn't have time to look it over too well. It came out rather long. Forgive my thoughtlessness, if you will.

So, I hope you like this chapter…it's a very…uh, important one. Lol.

Alright, I am not going to make this long, so begin the reading!

SO sorry about the million updates you will receive...once again...it wasn't copying right. Fanfic hates me. :/

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO—SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

She slept rather soundly next to the vampire that was out for blood, her blood. I couldn't think of anything except her blood. It had my head spinning over and over again and it had been nearly six hours. It was so different, so intense, yet smooth. Nothing like a full breed fairy that I could tell. No, with her being a hybrid, it changed her blood. I was sure of it. To be quite honest, it was the best I have ever tasted, even Fae blood itself. Sookie's was meant for me. I knew that, as if her life essence was singing to only me. My whole being was humming along with hers, after drinking my fill of her delicious liquid.

I wanted more. I wanted to drain her dry just to taste it as long as I possibly could, but I couldn't do that. It would ruin all the plans I had thought about. Get on her good side, have her fall in love with me. It was going perfectly, so perfectly…until she squirmed underneath me while I was feeding. My body acted on its own accord and moved to hover over her. The scent of her arousal was very evident and I lost focus, going in for what _she_ needed.

How could I have done that? _Why_ did I do that?

I had no answers and I wouldn't look too closely to the situation regardless. There was no time for carelessness on my part, but I still had to put up appearances that I actually liked her. If I didn't, then she wouldn't love me and if she didn't love me, I couldn't rip out her heart and take the Cluviel Dor from her very chest.

I smirked devilishly, looking down at the peaceful girl lying just next to me. Her back was up against my chest and she was so warm. So very warm that it almost made it peaceful for me as well, but I couldn't and wouldn't fall asleep. I lied when I said I trusted her. I could never trust another fairy in my life. If I did, then I was as sure as dead. Sookie Stackhouse-she could be dangerous and yet, she didn't look like she was any threat to me.

I've seen and dealt with many people in my long life. I knew how to read people, but I couldn't with her. She wasn't an open book like most. She knew how to keep her true self hidden, which I found quite remarkable. Sookie was a mere girl and therefore I knew I could taint her. I still had to be cautious though. If she knew what she was, then she was playing me.

My eyes narrowed at my own thought. Did she know who she was? Or was there something missing out of the prophecy? Mae had told me they would put the Cluviel Dor within her chest when she was just a newborn baby. With these new found ideas on the whole subject, I knew that I needed to figure out if she did know who she was, but how? The only one she was close to was the shifter, Sam Merlotte.

I pondered for quite some time, thinking over everything. Sookie had told me she came from Dashguard, which is rather funny because Sam's family lives there. Sookie knew something of who she was, to come up with such a clever idea of lying about where she came from. It was well thought out; picking a town that wants nothing to do with vampires. I would have seemingly looked over it, or so she thought.

Robert Merlotte. A very wise old historian knew of the portal, knew some of the prophecy. Hmm. It looks like I have to pay a visit to Dashguard.

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

Turning over on the bed, I groaned. My eyes didn't want to come open, I was still that tired. After a few moments of trying though, I successfully opened my eyes and got an eye full of breasts. I blinked, moving my head back to see Pam kneeling beside me.

"Oh God!" I rushed, bolting upright in the bed and looking around the room. Eric was nowhere in sight.

"Now, really, I don't believe I can be called a 'God'." She shook her head. "Calm yourself, breather. I am not here to harm you. I think I had enough punishment before trying to go after you. It is totally not worth it." Pam made a face. "Well, okay…it's worth it, but I'm not going to."

I still sat stiff, staring at her as if she had gone mad or maybe I was the one. I was still so nervous around her, but I guess that was to be expected. I sighed, shifting on the sheets until I came to the other side of the bed and stood on my own two feet. I inched away from her, toward the door.

"Where's Eric?" I asked, trying to act casually, but that wasn't happening.

Pam rolled her eyes. "He had some business to deal with outside the castle."

"Isn't it daytime?"

"Yes?"

"Then how-"

"Oh, yes. He uses a coffin, they transport him." She waved her hand in front of her. "It's fairly safe."

"That's, um, good?" I shuffled on my feet.

"You can relax, you know? I was just watching you sleep."

"That's kind of stalker-ish like." I muttered, huffing out another sigh.

"If that is what you want to call it. " She shrugged before smiling. "It was entertaining. You make the weirdest noises when you turn in your sleep."

Good to know. I thought. "I'm going to go have…breakfast now."

"You do that." Her grin only widened.

I turned on my heel and left the apartment quickly. I used the elevator, turning Eric's key in the holder- that I thankfully grabbed-and the elevator began to descend. Leaning against the wall, I groaned. I needed a shower, first and foremost.

After doing all the necessary things that a girl just needs to get done in the morning, I was heading downstairs into the kitchen. I had a hard time finding it, since I was never taken there in the first place, but the chef-who was human-was very nice whenever I called to order myself something. I could have made something in my room, but I felt as though I needed human contact. It felt like forever since I've had that.

Twenty minutes passed before I stumbled upon the kitchen by chance, down the one corridor by the pet's lounge. It was weird, since most of the pets were still sleeping. I walked past a few that kept giving me the evil eye, but I ignored them. It was even strange to see guy pets giving me the look. Eric was very handsome after all, so I couldn't blame them one bit.

Thinking of Eric made me reminisce on what had happened just a few hours prior. I had my first real orgasm and had it by just rubbing against him. I shivered. How the hell did that happen? Was it even possible? Well, I guess it was because I was living proof of that. Still, I tried to forget since my face had become bright scarlet just by the idea that it might happen again and that maybe, just maybe…I could return the favor.

Wow! Okay, one night I spent with him in his room and I am already thinking naughty thoughts? I shook my head. I was changing, I felt like I was becoming something more than just what I used to be in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Was that normal? Well, what really is normal anyway? I am in another dimension, with vampires, Weres and God knows what else. Nothing seemed normal anymore.

Alcide was sitting in the kitchen, reading what looked to be a newspaper. He saw me coming and smiled, pulling out the seat next to him for me to take. I sniffed the air before smiling.

"Pancakes, eggs and bacon?" I nodded to his plate.

"Yeah, a hearty breakfast is always what everyone needs to start their day." He told me.

"I would believe so." I agreed. "Looks like you are eating for four." I motioned to his plate proportions. He had quite a bit of food on that plate.

"It's a Were thing." He replied, stuffing his mouth with a forkful of eggs.

"You always say that." I chuckled. "But I wouldn't be surprised. I bet your metabolism is a lot faster than mine."

"Yeah, which means I can eat quite a bit and not get fat." He laughed.

"Hello, Miss Stackhouse." Chef Michael smiled, coming from the back with a bowl of fruit salad. He sat it down in front of me and I picked up a piece of freshly cut melon and put it to my lips.

"Hello, Michael." I mimicked his words with a grin of my own. "It seems as though you knew I was coming down here, since you got the fruit all ready."

"Well, to be honest, I was just making up a batch, but you can have it all! I do know that you have ordered fruit every morning since you have been here. It hasn't been long, but I know what you like and dislike already."

"Thank you." I replied, stuffing a strawberry slice into my mouth. I turned to the side, looking at Alcide who had his eyebrow raised with a smirk on his face. "What? It's a healthy breakfast."

"Yeah, but it isn't a lot. You're eating as though you need to watch your weight, if I may be so bold." I chuckled at his words. "Besides, you honestly could eat more. You are with a vampire, after all. You need all the nutrition you can get."

I waved off his worries. "I eat more at lunch and dinner. I like light things for breakfast, that way I don't feel too full during the morning."

He laughed. "So, is there anything you want to do today, Sookie? Eric asked me to entertain you."

"Well," I drew out, holding up another piece of fruit to my lips. "I was thinking that I could go visit my friends for the day and go to work."

"Work? You really…want to continue working?" Alcide's brows fell in confusion. "Don't get me wrong, Sookie, it's just that when a pet is with King Eric, they don't usually want to do anything that they think is…below them in anyway."

"Well, I'm not like most people." I said softly, smiling just to myself. "Besides, I really don't like to mooch off people and I would be doing that if I just stayed here all the time, doing nothing."

"I guess you're right." He sighed. "You really are something, Sook."

"Why thank you, Alcide." I grinned. "You are something, yourself."

He grinned, shaking his head. "Don't let Eric hear you say that. He fancies you quite a bit."

"He does, doesn't he?" I sighed. "It's just so weird. I don't know what he sees that is so special about a girl like me."

"Like I said, Sookie, you really are something. I just can't put my finger on it, you know? You just seem special."

"I've never heard that about myself before." I confessed. "Not used to the whole idea that I mean something to more than just family."

"Yeah, I could understand that, but you gotta realize what you are, you know? You're kind, generous, funny and all around, you're a sweet girl. Everyone can see that, even the pets see that and they are jealous of it. Now all you gotta do is realize that for yourself and you will be good to go."

"Thanks." I laughed.

"So, when do you wanna head to Merlotte's? I gotta get ready."

"How long would it take you?" I asked, stepping away from the table to put the bowl in the sink.

"About an hour." He replied.

"Alright. I'm good to go now."

"Alright, see you in a bit."

"Miss Stackhouse," Chef Michael came around the corner, holding a pan in his hands. "You really don't have to wash that, ma'am. It is quite alright to leave there for me to do when I am done peeling the potatoes."

"No, no. I've got it." I waved him off.

"If you are sure." He said gently, going to the counter to start doing his routine.

"I am." I said, turning my attention back to the bowl in my hand.

I didn't like to be waited on and that made me think that I should cook my own food upstairs even more. I would hate to be a burden on Michael's already long list of pets he needed to cook for. I bit my lip, turning my head to look at him as he slaved over the potatoes.

I dried off my hands and then walked to stand next to him where he was. He smiled at me before turning his attention back down to the task at hand. He seemed like a very nice guy, since I have known him in the short amount of time. He wasn't that bad to look at either. A muscular form, under the chef outfit he was wearing, light brown medium length hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, hazel eyes and a strong facial frame.

"Do you have another peeler?" I asked, pulling out the drawer he was standing by. To my surprise, there was a peeler lying just inside.

"Miss Stackhouse-"

"Please, call me Sookie. Miss Stackhouse just seems too formal." I grabbed a potato and began to help him.

He sighed. "You really don't have to help me, Sookie. It is quite alright. I am used to doing this."

"I want to help, besides, it's been forever since I've cooked or even helped prepare a meal."

"Thank you then." He said very quietly.

He was shy most of the time; I've notice that as well. His voice was always soft, sweet whenever I ordered something over the phone.

"You are very welcome." I replied, grabbing another potato in my hands. "Hey, I was wondering something, but you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Ask away." He told me.

"How did you start working here?"

"Oh." He said quickly, looking down at his hands.

"I'm sorry. I must have…stepped over a boundary. Truly, I didn't mean to." I rushed.

"No, no. It's just sort of hard for me to really describe it." He sighed. "When I was fifteen, my mother was attacked by some bad vampires. They had nothing to do with the castle, or even the King himself. She was dying, you see? They had nearly drained her and the King came across the scene by chance. He had a few followers with him and one of them offered to make her into a vampire. I didn't want my mom to die. I still needed her in my life." He paused; looking away from me as if he was ashamed of what came next. "She was too out of it to agree, so I made the decision for her. Three days after she had become a vampire-it takes three days to change-I waited for her, by the grounds they buried her at. I thought she would be happy, I thought she would come up from the ground and still be the mother that I always thought I would have. I was wrong." He said. "She was different, she wasn't the same person anymore and I should have realized that when her maker came next to me and told me to back off for a while. I didn't understand, didn't understand why my mom didn't seem to care. It was because she was a vampire. A newborn vamp has nothing else on their mind except blood. She nearly attacked me, if it wasn't for her sire protecting me by telling her she couldn't feed from her own flesh and blood. My mother, after that, began to resent me. She loved being a vampire, loved being a creature of the night and she told me before she had left for good that it was the best gift I could have gave her." He let out a breath of air. "It was the best gift I gave her, because she didn't have to deal with me anymore. She was no longer bound to a human life, human responsibilities."

"Oh, God. I am so sorry, Michael." I felt tears prick my eyes and I reached my hand over to pat his shoulder.

"That was ten years ago though and I have moved on, but it didn't really explain how I got here, did it?" He tried to smile. "After my mother left, King Eric offered me a place to stay here in the castle because I was not old enough yet to be able to fully be responsible for my own life. I didn't have a job and I couldn't find one. So, I decided to come here and be an apprentice to the old chef they had. He became a father figure in my life. My real father died when I was just two years old, so I didn't have the fatherly figure there that I needed. My mentor taught me everything he knew and I stayed here after he had passed on, taking over his job fully."

"I see." I said softly. "Do you like it here?"

"Oh, yes. I really do. I don't live here anymore, but I come in every day. Three years ago, I met my wife and decided that it was time for me to move out and fully support myself and her, since at the time she was my girlfriend and I was courting her. We married two years ago."

"Congratulations." I smiled.

"Yes, she does make everything I have ever gone thorough seem like it was nothing. If none of those things ever happened, then I doubt I would be with her today, you know? I am thankful, even though I had lost a great deal; I have gained so much more. She is with child."

"Wow! Congratulations again!" I gushed. "I love children."

"You do?" He smiled. "This is our first one and we believe it is a boy."

"There are ways to-" I stopped there, realizing that even though this world had some of the things Earth had, they didn't have everything. An ultrasound machine was probably not on the list of things the two worlds shared. "Well, I am just happy for you anyway."

"Thank you."

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your wife's name?"

"Rose." He replied, smiling with such pride being able to talk about the woman he seemed to love so very much.

"That is a lovely name. Maybe one day, I can meet her?"

"Of course, Sookie. She would love to meet you. You can come over for dinner one night, if and when you are able."

"I would love that, Michael." I told him. "I don't know too many people around these parts, so I would like to meet as many people as I can and your wife seems like such a nice woman."

"She certainly is. She is my everything."

"Sookie, you ready to go?" Alcide's voice came from behind us.

I turned to look at him over my shoulder, finishing off peeling the last potato from the pot. I smiled at Michael once more, waving to him before I took my leave.

Everything was calm as we exited the front doors. I decided that it would be nice to just walk down there, instead of taking any transportation. Alcide agreed, saying that he needed to stretch his legs more anyway. I gripped my jacket closer to my chest. It was slightly colder today, but not enough to have to wear a winter coat for. Alcide had also told me that they don't get very cold winters here either, hardly any snow. It reminded me of Bon Temps. The temperature would drop, but we hardly ever see snow there.

What I thought was really cool was that the autumn colors were totally different. When you think of autumn colors, you would think red, orange, yellow and brown color tones. These were different. Deep purples, blues and reds the colors changed to. It was sort of surreal and yet, this was a fairytale kind of place, so things had to be different. I liked it though.

We reached Småstad much quicker than I had originally thought we were and I was slightly disappointed, but I brightened up right away when I saw Tara coming out of the bar. She was taking a break, it looked like.

I tapped Alcide's shoulder to indicate which direction I wanted to go before I bounced away from him to stand behind Tara. I reached up slowly, quietly to grab her shoulders.

She jumped, turning around to stare at me. "Sookie!" She hugged me instantly as we jumped around like two little girls. "How are you doing? I was starting to get worried about you!"

"I am doing quite alright." I laughed.

"So, how is it going with King Eric?"

I turned my head to the side, to show her the two little half healed holes adorning my neck. She gasped before chuckling. "I think it is going rather well."

"He obviously hasn't gotten tired of you yet." Tara nodded. "No offence- in any way- by that."

"None taken." I waved my hand. "So, does Sam need some help today?"

"Yes, we are swamped! Another town has been destroyed from the Black Hole and a few humans have been staying here. They were all from Trisfall; the town we went to, to buy your masquerade ball gown."

I gasped, grabbing her hands. "Is Nancy here? Is she safe?"

"Nancy?" Tara replied confused.

"The nice old woman that we got the dress from, don't you remember?"

"Oh!" She rushed. "Yes, I remember and yes, she is here. I believe she is in the bar right now."

I didn't take any more time, I ran into the building to look for myself. There in the corner was the sweet old lady, sitting in the booth. I rushed over to her and smiled.

"Oh! Hello, dear." She smiled up at me. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you? I heard that Trisfall didn't make it from the Black Hole." I sat down in the booth next to her, finally able to smile at her. I was glad she was alright.

"I am doing well, it took some time to make it here to Småstad, but I finally got here." Nancy nodded. "It did destroy the whole town. My gown shop is gone, my home is gone, but I am alive and I guess that is all that matters. I was hoping I would get to see you again someday. You are such a sweet girl."

"I've been hearing that quite a bit today." I murmured to myself.

"What was that, dear?" She asked.

"Nothing, nothing." I smiled. "I'm just glad you are okay. I should get to work though. I haven't been here for a while."

"Yes, I heard that you are with King Eric. It is all over about a girl named Sookie-_that no one has ever heard about_-has become the pet to the King."

I gulped at her words. I didn't tell her about where I came from, but with the wry smile she was giving me made me believe that she knew something more than she was letting on.

"I see, but yes, I am the pet of the King." I allowed.

"By the looks of it, everything seems to be going well, so far." Nancy smiled again, pointing at the bite marks on my neck.

I blushed. "Yes, everything is going great."

"Sookie?" I heard Sam's voice as he came to stand next to the table. I smiled up at him. "Wow. It's nice to see you again!"

"Thanks, Sam. I came down for a visit and hopefully help work, if you need me."

"Of course!" He laughed gently. "I'll even put Alcide to work." He joked, looking over at the Were who was now glaring daggers in his direction. Alcide heard that. I laughed.

"Well, even if he doesn't work, I am here to work. So, that's good, right?"

"Yeah, it really is. We've missed you."

"It hasn't been too long." I answered.

"Nope, but you were still missed." He winked before going back to the bar.

I smiled at Nancy, patting her hand as I stood. "Do you need something, Nancy? More water? Something to eat?"

"Water would be lovely, my dear." She smiled. I turned to get as she asked, but before I could turn, her hand was on my wrist, pulling me back. I looked at her in confusion to see that the smile that was there just moments ago was gone. "Do me a favor, my sweet?"

"Of course, Nancy." I promised, waiting for her to continue.

She looked around discretely before opening her mouth. "Be very careful and watch out for yourself today. Also you need to always, _always _protect your heart."

My brows fell slightly as I continued to stare at her. I didn't know what to say. The way she said it…made me feel nervous about my future for a moment there. I don't understand what I even felt, but I knew I should heed this woman's words. "I will, Nancy."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I think I am going to go back to the inn for now. I am very tired today. I hope to see you again soon, Sookie. It was nice catching up."

"Y-Yeah." I watched her leave.

Alcide came up next to me, tapping my shoulder. "You seem spooked."

"I…uh…what?" I finally snapped my eyes away from where I watched Nancy retreat to look up at Alcide. He was looking at me in concern. "I'm fine."

"You sure? She didn't say anything that bothered you, did she?" He asked. "You seemed like you knew her-"

"Oh," I blurted out quickly, smiling all too brightly. "No, don't worry. I'm perfectly fine. She's a family friend."

"Alright, Sook." He turned. "I'm going to get a beer and relax."

"You don't have to stay here the whole time." I commented lightly.

"Yeah I do. If I didn't, Eric would kill me…probably literally."

I winced. Eric was sure scary when he wanted to be. "Well, do what you gotta. I hate to be a burden though."

"You're not." He promised with a wink.

After that I got to work, but I could never fully get my mind off of what Nancy had said. Was there a reason I needed to watch out for myself today? Was something going to happen? It was very ominous and very…creepy. She was a witch after all.

I finally finished my shift. I had stayed the whole day and Alcide did as well. He even helped out in the kitchen after saying he was bored and that was the only reason. I laughed, of course, but he seemed to have fun regardless. He was friends with the cook Lafayette.

It was about two hours before dusk and I thought about Eric. He must have gotten to wherever he needed to go, right? I was worried about him and yet, I was more worried about myself. I thought I was safe though, Nancy said that I just needed to watch out for myself today and…today was pretty much over right?

I looked out the window, noticing the sky had gotten rather dark on the far horizon. It looked like it was on the town just a few miles away from Småstad. My eyes widened as I watched though the window, past the other buildings standing in the way, to the little funnel that began to form from the skies above.

"The Black Holes is falling on Fayette Township!" A man hollered.

"That is so close to here!" I woman cried out loudly.

Sam, Alcide, Tara, Lafayette and I ran to the door and out we went. We stood in horror as it began to fall down slowly. If you listened closely, you could hear screams coming from the town.

"We have got to do something!" I shouted to them as they stood in horror.

None of them seemed to be listening, but I couldn't and wouldn't just stand here and know that people could be dying! Knowing the odds, knowing Nancy's warnings and knowing that it probably wasn't the best plan, I took off running.

"Sookie! No!" Alcide shouted.

I wouldn't listen though. I just ran faster than I had ever ran, jumping over and around people who stood frozen in their places, not doing a damn thing. Well, that wasn't me. I couldn't just watch it happen. It was further than I thought, but I could see the town clearly. There was a field in between the towns and I took off running through the grassy plains.

The wind was picking up fast, pushing me back and forth, but the screams were getting louder and my fears of my own survival couldn't even stop me this time. I pushed against the wind, trying to gain more speed even though my lungs were burning from exertion.

I looked up at the funnel that was getting closer to the town. It had touched ground just outside the town, moving so slowly, but if I looked closely, there were people already being picked up from the ground to meet the black tornado. I didn't want to watch that, but I couldn't move my eyes away from the horrors that were happening right before me. People were being shredded apart. The wind blew in my direction and I felt some warm liquid on my cheeks, splashing against my body like rain. I knew what it was, I knew it was their blood, but it didn't stop me.

There was a boy in the center of the town, being pushed back and forth as the people ran in different directions. Most ran passed me, bumping into me as they went, but I didn't let it knock me down. My eyes held only to the boy who no one seemed to care about. He was dirty, in ripped clothes and he was looking around helplessly to the people that just ran past him. What hurt my heart was that he was wailing so loudly, but it was drowned out by everyone else's screams of horror. His eyes were wide with fright as he was pushed to the ground, nearly trampled by the town's people.

The tornado reached the edge of the town by now, coming up to the boy very quickly. I pushed my burning legs faster. A piece of the roof off one of the buildings was ripped clean from the still standing structure and began to fly in the direction to where the boy sat crying.

"No!" I screamed as I leaped toward him, pushing him to the ground just in time to miss the flying object that would have surely killed him on impact. "Shh, it's alright. It's alright." I whispered in his ear as more things flew over us. Something hit my arm, raking down my arm and I felt instant pain, but I didn't move.

I covered his head with my hands in a protective position, laying my body over top if his own so nothing would harm him. The wind screamed loudly, blowing my hair in every direction as I held the boy tightly in my grasp.

I felt hands on my shoulders, warm hands and looked up to see Alcide standing just behind me. He reached his hand down to grab my own and I took it. He heaved me to my feet, pushing the boy between us as he did so. We stood chest to chest, watching the town start to rip apart around us.

"The people!" I screamed loudly for him to hear. "There are more people here, Alcide. We can't just leave."

"My job is to protect you, Sookie. This is fucking insane!" He yelled back in his booming voice, jumping us three to the side as a branch came dragging across the ground.

"Please, Alcide! I can't just leave!" I begged.

He looked at me hard. "If we survive this, I am going to kill you myself."

"I hope that was a really bad joke." I said.

"Damn it! It was. Now, run that boy to the middle of the field. I'll grab some of these people that are hurt. We can't save them all, you know that?"

"I know that." I said. "Just save as many as we can. Grab the ones that look like they can be saved."

"Go!" He said after nodding.

I nodded, picking the boy up in my arms I took off, running toward the field. Once I made it half way, I pushed him into the arms of Tara who was standing there with tears in her eyes.

"Take care of him, Tara! Don't let anything happen to him!" I told her before I sprinted off back in the town.

I found Alcide who had three people off the ground, somehow all on his back. I pointed him in the direction that he should run and he took off. I looked back toward the house, noticing a woman that must have fainted just inside her doorway. I ran in that direction. Grabbing her shoulder, I heaved her up and carried her as much as I could, dragging her mostly through the grassy plains.

Alcide met me halfway, grabbing my waist and turning me until we hit the ground. There was a loud crash and I looked up in terror as some new blood splashed across my face and neck. I trembled as I watched Alcide curse heavily, his eyes closed tightly. There, in his left shoulder was a piece of wood, sticking straight though.

"Pull it out." He demanded.

"That might cause more damage!" I said hurriedly.

"I am pretty sure that my shoulder is shattered already, Sookie. Just pull it out and I will begin to heal slowly."

My hands trembled as I reached up to grab the wood. Blood stained my hand, dripping down my arms as I noticed he wasn't only bleeding, but bleeding heavily. I was sure it hit a major vein for him to be bleeding so much. I closed my eyes as I ripped it out, hearing him howl in pain. There was a giant hole where the wood came out and I reached between us to grab my already ripped shirt. I tore it, revealing my stomach quite a bit. I quickly wrapped it awkwardly around his shoulder to try to stop the bleeding; of course he just bled through it.

"We need to get out of here." He said through clenched teeth. "There is nothing more we can do, Sookie."

I nodded and rolled over; helping him stand up and then we took off, running in a different direction from where we originally planned on going. The Black Hole was now in the middle of the town, throwing and destroying the paths back to where Tara, Lafayette and Sam stood.

We reached a forest, throwing ourselves down on the ground as we watched the rest of the town be ripped apart. I sighed, wiping the back of my hand over my forehead. Blood smeared everywhere when I did that and I began to cry in earnest.

I still didn't know what possessed me to have so much courage though that, but I was thankful. I saved some people that might not have been saved otherwise. I owed Alcide my life now, since he helped and ultimately saved my own hide.

He was in bad shape and I was sure I couldn't move him again just yet. He was so pale, but if I looked closely, the wound was slightly smaller -not dramatically-but he was healing. Alcide leaned heavily against the tree, reaching up to touch his shoulder. It looked horrible and misshapen. I winced when he groaned out, feeling so very guilty that I had gotten him into this mess.

I looked up at the sky, noticing that the sun had fallen over the horizon. Time really flew by in that crisis. I was so very tired, felt like I would never be able to walk again. I closed my eyes, passing out where I sat, knowing that Alcide did the same thing.

Sometime after that, I woke from a rustling beside us. My heart skipped a beat as I saw something flash through the trees so quickly.

"Don't. Move." Alcide whispered. He must have seen whatever it was as well. I heard something different now, looking over to Alcide I noticed him sniffing and breathing in deeply. His eyes widened.

"What is it?" I whispered, crawling over to him slowly.

"Vampires." That one word scared me, but I didn't understand why. I lived in the same castle as a bunch of vampires.

"And…?" I asked slowly.

Just then something came falling out of a tree just a few yards away from us. The figure landed on his feet before us, his very messy hair blowing in the wind as he looked at us. His eyes were wild, un-tamed.

"Shit." Alcide sat up, reaching into his pocket with his good arm. He threw me something and I noticed it looked like a cellphone. I looked up to him in confusion. "Get Eric on the phone. Tell him we are trapped in the woods just outside of Fayette Township and we are dealing with a rogue vampire and I'm not able to fight much."

"Rogue vampire?" My eyes snapped to the vampire that stood before us, his head cocked to the side. The vampire smiled evilly, showing off huge fangs.

"Vampires that do not follow the rules the King has set. They are evil, deranged and unpredictable at best. Eric's number is the emergency number, just hit one."

I gulped, rolling back against the tree and looked in the phone. Hitting the little number one on the key pad, I held the phone up to my ear as best as I could. I was shaking more than ever. After quite a few rings, there was an answer.

"_What?"_ Eric's voice seemed upset, like I was interrupting something, but he didn't know it was me.

Just then more vampires came out from the shadows of the trees. I heard Alcide growl and roll to a crouch. Before I could even comprehend what happened, he shifted into a wolf. My eyes widened as Alcide yelped in a wolfish growl. He was still wounded and putting weight on his shoulder.

"Eric!" I screamed.

"…_Sookie? What is wrong?"_ Eric demanded.

"We're in the woods of Fayette Township. The Black Hole tore the place apart while I was at Merlotte's. I went to help and Alcide went too. He got wounded and we passed out in the woods. We woke up and we're now surrounded by rogue vampires."

I heard a deep guttural growl over the phone. _"I am on my way. I will call for Pam."_

"W-What should I do?" I whispered as the vampires all turned to look at me, ignoring Alcide who jumped in front of me. There were about ten vampires that I could count standing before us now.

"_Stay. Alive."_ It wasn't a request from him, it was an order.

The phone went dead and as soon as that happened, everything broke out. The vampires leapt in the air and Alcide followed suit. I rolled on the ground as I watched Alcide snap into the one vampire's arm. He was having a hard time holding them off. I noticed that they were toying with Alcide. They laughed when they kicked him, and then waited until he stood up to do it all over again.

That didn't last long. With one large and hard kick to the wolf-Alcide's stomach, he went flying hitting a tree and breaking it in half as he fell to the ground and didn't move. I watched frozen as all the vampires seemed to turn to me next.

They began slowly, stepping one step at a time toward me. All I could do was shuffle back, until my back hit a hard object; a large rock. I gulped as my life flashed before my very eyes. I was sure I was going to die. My breath was coming out in pants, heavy pants that hurt so much to breathe.

They jumped all at once, placing their fangs in different parts of my body. I screamed as they began to devour me alive. It was like I couldn't scream enough. What Brock had done was nothing like this. I could feel my life slipping away so quickly. I needed help. I needed…strength.

_Your heart is the key…_

_Your heart is one of a kind. _

_What lies within…what lies within._

_You are special…_

_You are special…_

_Sookie…_you_ are special…_

Something inside of me snapped. My eyes snapped open as my back arched off the ground. My chest felt hot, so warm that it engulfed my entire body in radiating heat. My heart beat wildly, but I could feel it as though you could see the pulses shimmering off of my body. With a crackling sound, the warmth left my body but didn't go very far, it surrounded me like a bubble of protection.

"I. Will. Not. Die." My voice trembled and yet, it was strong.

The bubble burst in an explosion of light that sent the vampires to the surrounding areas. I stood, feeling more strength than I ever have before. I turned my eyes to the first vampire that tried to advance on me first. I noticed his face and chest was burnt, flaking away. Something told me to raise my hand in the air and I did so, following what felt like instinct.

The same light erupted from my hand as well, sending the vampire flying into the tree, making it buckle underneath him. He hissed in pain, yelling something I couldn't understand. The vampires that were about to attack me began to step back and fade away from my view.

I stood there trembling until I remembered Alcide behind me. I walked slowly to him, since I couldn't move quicker than that. My body was screaming in the most horrible pain that I had ever felt in my entire life. I fell to my knees beside him. He had transformed back and he was completely naked, but I couldn't find it in me to even care what I saw.

"Alcide…" I whispered.

His head turned to look up at me. "I couldn't…protect you correctly. How did you make them go away?"

"You…were hurt." I tried to smile, but I simply couldn't. I also didn't answer the question he had because I couldn't explain it myself, but again, I didn't care at the moment.

"Sookie." He whispered in fear. "You need blood, you've lost a lot. I can hardly hear your heart beat!"

"I think…" I paused. "Alcide, I think this is what it feels like to die."

And then everything faded away.


	19. One pissed off vampire

**Author's Notes: **Hello readers!

Alright, so here is the next chapter and I hope you like it. It isn't as long as the others, but I still think it is a good chapter, regardless of length.

It is in Eric's POV as you can see, all of it is and…I really like his attitude in this chapter. It is…fitting, if I do say so myself. Am I bias? Yes, I totally am. Lol.

Okay, so I'm done rambling…enjoy the chapter y'all!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

This could not be happening. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, rogue vampires were thrown into the mix of everything I had set my eyes on. They were hideous creatures, even worse than I when it came to slaughtering helpless people. We have been good at killing them off, but we must have missed this pack. How the fuck could my guards have missed a pack of rogue vampires so close to the castle?

Someone definitely wanted to be on my kill list and I would find out who accidently missed this group while going out on the monthly outing to kill these bastards. These vampires and my own thoughtless guard could have gotten her killed. I wasn't sure yet, if she had died. If she is, then there would be fucking hell to pay and I would end up slaughtering the whole castle, everyone inside and everyone in this world.

Sookie Stackhouse was my only hope at making this world stable and my only hope of getting back to Earth. It was her fault; every single thing was her fault because she just had to save humans that were going to be killed by the Black Hole. She risked her life-and at any other moment I might have congratulated her on her bravery-to save people that were probably destined to die in the first place. She was thoughtless, careless and I was vaguely surprised she survived the Black Hole by herself. If she lived through the Black Hole only to die to fucking rogues, I was going to…to…I don't even know what the hell I would do at this point.

My blood boiled in my veins, if that was even possible for a vampire. I felt like it was since all I could see was red, all I could feel was utter anger and frustration at the whole situation. How could she have done that? Risked _everything_?

Stupid girl; stupid fucking girl that has no idea of how important she is to me, important for my own survival and revenge. And all I could tell her when she asked what she could do was 'stay alive'. It was a stupid answer, but I was too far away to come at a moments' notice to protect her myself. I just hoped that I could make it in time, save her because…I needed her.

"Sire!" Pam's voice came into my hearing range and I flipped down from the sky, landing in front of her. She took a step back, meeting my angry gaze. She knew not to step in the flames that were consuming me. "We have yet to locate them, but…Sookie…she…"

"Where is the girl?" I demanded, not waiting for her answer.

I sniffed the air, turning around when I caught her delicious and sweet scent in the air. It was mangled though, with the scent of death's blood; the rogue vampires blood. It all hung in the air, leading me toward where it must have happened.

The grass was tainted with blood; quite a lot of blood was muddled throughout the grounds. It was mostly Sookie's that I could see and that angered me further. A tree was buckled and broken off to the side, but my gaze did not stay there because it came upon a mangled girl on the ground. Pam had made it to her side, picking up her head. For a moment, I nearly growled at her to stay back, her blood was too strong in the air, but all Pam did was lean over toward her heart.

"It's beating too slowly." She called to me. "Even with the hearing I have, I can hardly make it out. Eric," Her eyes looked up to me in fright. I knew she cared for the girl. "She's dying."

"Like hell she is." I walked over, picking her up from the ground.

"Eric, you mustn't." Pam whispered. "You created the rules. If you are not giving a human the new life as a vampire, you can't give them your own blood. It's sacred. Sookie is dying, but she could be saved still. There are other ways that you can go about this…the doctors…"

"The doctors are back at the castle, Pam. I will not watch her die."

"Are you to turn her then?" Pam asked. "You would need to drain the rest of her blood beforehand."

"No, I do not plan on turning her." Was all I said before I bit into my own wrist and let my blood flow freely. I pushed it against her mouth and waited for it to take effect.

"Eric, the…the _rules_." Pam begged as some of Sookie's wounds began to heal.

"Fuck the rules! She is an exception." I yelled, turning my head to the side to bare my fangs at everyone who stood around me. Willing for them to even dare speak up about anything that I was doing.

They did not know how important Sookie was. I could not turn her, because then the premonition would change and we would no longer have a chance at survival. Sookie Stackhouse could not be turned into a vampire. I wouldn't allow it in the first place. I do not want a former Fae turned vampire around me. Therefore she just needed my blood to heal. I needed for her to get better at the moment. I would need to hide some of my own feelings from now on, but that shouldn't be very hard. I was cleaver; I knew how to hide my own emotions.

The guards that were standing around us stopped what they were doing. Their eyes went wide as they looked at one another. No one spoke, all that was heard in the forest was crickets and the wind as it pushed through the leaves of the trees. They knew that this was forbidden, that the blood was sacred and only to be used if you planned on becoming a maker, creating another vampire to join our ranks. But that probably wasn't the reason everything went quiet, no, not in the least. They were shocked, utterly confused as to why their King would want to save a human girl. I've never been attached to anyone like this, ever in all of my days of living. Never, in the history of anyone that has known me…have I've ever given my blood freely. The only time I did was when I turned Pam, but half of these vampires and Weres wouldn't know or remember that.

I turned my attention away from them and focused on the girl that was still lying rather limply in my arms. My blood ran out onto the side of her lip, up to her cheek because her neck was in an odd angle. I felt as though I had been kicked in the gut as I looked down at the girl with several vampire bites adorning her beautifully tanned skin. It was marred, red and some were still very nasty looking. Rogue vampires were known to take more than just blood while feeding. They were also very widely known for eating small parts of delicate flesh and they must have done so with Sookie.

I growled. This was affecting me more so than I thought it would. Of course, I was angry that she had caused herself harm because she had to help and save people, but it was more than that. I wanted her to live not just because of her being who she was, my ultimate ticket out of this world, but because…she was her. She was the only one that could get me to smile, well, before I found out about who she really was. That bugged me, angered me further because I did not know what to make of it. She could not grow on me. I could not get too deeply involved with a fairy. I knew I couldn't, I knew that I wouldn't, so why…why would I feel the way I do?

Fuck it. I'll ignore whatever the feeling I have for her is because it does not matter. She is of Fae descent, she is the girl that had been lying to me the whole time and I knew it. She knew where she came from, knew without a doubt that she lied in my face and hid her true self. I did not get to talk to Robert. I was heading to his home the moment she called and of course, I had to fight against learning what needed to be learned to save her in any way that I could. And that 'any way' was me giving up my own life essence, because sure as hell no one else would. The blood was sacred and as much as I wished to deny my involvement with the girl I am setting out to destroy…I wouldn't have let anyone but myself give her blood to save her life.

I felt Sookie's finger twitch, but that was all the response I had gotten from her. Her heart was stronger, I could hear it as the blood flowed it, making it pump and beat at a normal human rate. I could have sighed in relief. If she had died, I would have not known what to do. She was the only hope to save these people, to save this world and to save me; which was something I would never say publically. I would never say that I needed saving, that I -King Eric- needed a hero.

"Where are the rogues?" I asked, standing up carefully and passing Sookie into Pam's open arms. I gave her a look, making it clear through the bond that she should not touch what I have claimed was mine…again. If she did, the punishment would be more severe and Pam would definitely not want to face my true wrath.

"We don't know, your majesty." Phillip, one of my vampire guards spoke, bowing his head. "We did not follow them. Pam has asked us to stay with the girl and Alcide just in case they had come back."

"That doesn't answer the question though." Another guard said. A Were this time. "Alcide is too injured to help much and by the looks of the bite marks that were on the girl, there were quite a few of them that attacked. What I am wondering, your majesty, is why they would abandon the girl without taking every drop of blood that is within her?"

"I have no idea." I told them, but I knew different. I had a vague idea of why they seemed to run away as I looked down at the girl. I couldn't be sure, I had to find the rogues first and ask them myself before I killed each and every one of them. "I am going to find them." I announced.

"Your majesty," They started in a murmur. Phillip spoke up to finish the rest of what they were all thinking. "You should not have to deal with them. Send us, we can attack and kill them for you."

"I do not want more involvement than there already is. I shall take this assignment on myself, _alone._" Emphasizing the last word as I spoke because I did not want them to stumble upon what I believed they would find, stirring up more questions if they came across the rogues to be in a somewhat…flakey and ashy condition.

"But…sir…"

"I do not want to hear any more of your useless ramblings!" I growled loudly, shouting the words. "If you all had done your job this month, then there would not have been a need to even save the girl. If you had looked in these woods and found the rogue vampires, she would not have been attacked and nearly killed. This is the second time she was attacked, maybe not by your own hands, but I can sure as hell put that fault on you and punish each and every one of you for your mistakes of carelessness." I looked around, barring my fangs as I did so. "Do you want me to forget this ever happened, by going into these woods to kill the vampires that had caused harm to what is mine? Or would you rather not shut your fucking mouths and take my wrath? I can promise you that the latter of that equation –if you do not let it go-will be highly severe as in death to each of you." And what met me was the silence that I was desperately grasping for. I smirked deadly as I reached up, putting my hair in a ponytail before I began to track in the woods. "Take the girl to the castle, put her in my room and call the doctors to check her, Pam."

"Yes, sire." Pam whispered, gripping Sookie tighter in her grasp as she turned on her heel. "You heard your king, get moving back to the castle. He can handle himself."

And I could. I was the strongest vampire that there ever was. I was the oldest, wisest, and most clever. I did not need guards and knights to stand in front of me as if I needed that protection. No, I never needed that, nor would I. I was not some cowering man behind an army. These vampires were below me in every way and I would show them just how much they should cower _before_ _me_ because I was not one to be messed with. It was something that rogues never understood. Today that would change; they shall finally learn what it means to be afraid. I shall see their fear in their eyes before I rip them out from their eye sockets and then kill them all.

-break-

They were not too hard to find. I followed the trail of ash and oozing blood. The stench alone would have guided me right to their lair. I stepped in quietly, with my hands behind my back because I was not fazed by the hisses and growls of warning. Totally unfazed as I walked to the center and felt by instinct that they had closed me off, in a complete circle, surrounded by rogue vampires. I could have yawned at how intimidating they were. They were like cuddly and furry little animals compared to me and the hatred that was boiling beneath the surface.

"Oh look, a whole nest." I spoke through the hissing. "Some of you aren't burnt and flaking away, so I would assume you did not go on the hunt tonight."

"The King has decided to grace us with his presence, everyone." The leader spoke, getting up from his makeshift throne. I could have laughed. "Let us all bow before him."

The vampires that surrounded me laughed, all in unison. It only made a smirk flash across my face as they stepped closer. They were mocking me, mocking my stature and over all reputation as their 'king'. Though they did not follow my rulings, I was still above them and still ruled over them even if they did not follow me.

"You are right. I am still your king." I spoke softly. I waited until the one male vampire got a little too close to me and I grabbed his arm, throwing him in front of me. He stood with wide eyes as I grasped his shoulder tightly in my grasp. "And because I am your king," I growled, forcefully pushing him to his knees before me. "I will undoubtedly get you to bow before me as I graced your home."

The hissing and growling grew louder as I bit my fingernails into his shoulder, crushing it in my grasp. He yelped in pain, trying to get away from me, but I wasn't having that. This was not even my full strength and therefore it showed just how weak he really was.

"Get your hands off of my follower." The leader bared his fangs, stepping closer just as the others did.

"No, I don't think I will. For you see," I removed my hand quickly only to grasp his neck with both hands. I gave it a small tug and ripped his head clean from his shoulders. "He is no longer alive to be your follower." A woman began to lunge toward me, but I raised my finger. "Ah, don't you even dare." She stopped, her eyes twitching as she looked down at the vampire that was nothing but goo at the bottom of my shoes. "I suspect that he was your…lover?"

"You killed Johnny." She cried out, turning to her leader. "Weston, do something!"

"I don't think Weston has enough power to overtake me, nor do any of you." I laughed before becoming serious once more. "You had touched what was mine tonight, do you realize that?"

"The girl?" The leader asked, smirking. "She put a damper on our nightly feast by using whatever magic she has…the fucking witch."

"It does not matter if you didn't kill her." I shook my head. "You could have, but that is not what I am talking about. You _touched_ her, _bit_ her and that is not allowed. Do you think I would just go on my way as if nothing happened?"

"Where are your guards, Eric?" The leader laughed. "You really believe I would be shaking in my boots just because you came here to get revenge for the girl? You are but one vampire, among many."

"I don't need my guards to take your lives." I said lightly. "Twenty vampires are surrounding me and I didn't even have to look at them all to count those numbers. It's just the way I've learned to deal with a bunch of idiotic, unprofessional killers. I've seen many wars, boy and this- your people as you call them- do not frighten me in the slightest. I can and will kill each of you without getting a single scratch on me." I smirked. "You want to know how?"

"Enlighten me." Weston said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It is very, very simple." I took one step, looking from the corners of my eyes to watch everyone's movements as I began to tense myself, ready myself. I looked up at Weston before I smirked. "You have to catch them off guard."

"Wha…?"

I jumped, clearing the vampires that stood in front of Weston before I landed in front of him. Pushing out my hand, I ripped through his chest, gripping his heart in my hand. I pulled back, revealing the object with a smirk on my face. Horror was etched in his eyes as he tumbled over, exploding before me.

I turned, kicking the two vampires that rushed toward me in that second and knocked them down. Grabbing them, I threw them into the terrified crowd of rogues as I did so. One by one, I killed each of them, even when they attempted to fight. It was futile, they were weak and they did not have a single plan or the coordination to deal with a vampire like myself. I laughed as their blood splattered across my face, my clothes and I kept going. I ripped their bodies apart, mutilated them beyond recognition. I was down to two left, who trembled as I stepped toward them. They had no burn marks, indicating that Sookie did not harm these two and that they did not feed from her. They were also women, but did that stop me? No. I killed the first one swiftly and that left me standing with the woman that was the lover of Johnny. I stepped up, grabbing the girl by her neck and lifted her above my head. She thrashed, trying to grab onto me, or even scratch, I wasn't too sure.

"Stop! Please, I…I don't wanna die!" She begged.

"It's too late for begging." I told her. "One must receive punishment for the crimes of her pack. You, my dear vampire, will not get remorse from me." I brought her down and closer to my face. "Maybe you should have chosen better which side to stand on."

I rammed her into the wall, where a piece of wood was sticking out. Clearly it was not safe for a vampire nest, but it worked wonders for my very own plan. She writhed before she vomited blood and burst into a pile of vampire waste just as the rest of them did.

I stood there, in the now dead home as I brought my hand up to my face to wipe the blood from my forehead. All I ended up doing was smearing it further, but that was alright with me. The satisfaction broke through and I knew I still had it in me to defeat a whole army just by myself. The anger I felt began to fade, but not fully. That in and of itself made me sigh because I was still upset, but not toward these vampires, but toward Sookie who would be resting in my bed in my home.

I walked toward the entrance and reached in my back pocket, pulling out matches that I had stashed there for instances like this; ones where it should be forgotten that it ever happened. There were enough flammable materials inside the cave so I didn't have to go in search for it. I drug the match across the rock formations mouth before I flicked it inside, along with the rest of the pack of matches. I stood back, smirking as I watched it all burn before my very eyes.

-break-

"She should have woken up by now, don't you think?" Pam asked, walking down by my throne.

I waved away my guards to speak freely with my child. "The doctors said that she was unconscious because of more than just nearly dying. They believed that she needed time to recuperate."

"Recuperate from what?" She asked, turning her face in my direction.

I sighed; still not ready to clue Pam into what had happened. I know for a fact that Sookie used her power. The power of the Fae where they create light out of their bodies, mostly their hands. It is shown in the painting of the premonition and I remember seeing it from my very own eyes.

It brought up more questions though because if Sookie was still in slumber after three days of when it happened, then it could have been her first time ever using that power. She didn't have enough strength, but it came out as survival and therefore, she used too much of the power itself, making her need time to rest her own mind. That seemed like the most likely cause, but it made me feel a bit wary on the whole subject. If this was Sookie's first time using her power, then is it truly possible that she does not know of her heritage and what she is?

"I am not sure, Pam." I lied, keeping a straight face.

"Well, you know…there is talk of what you did for her. It's all over the castle." Pam said once more.

"You do not think I don't hear the whisperings?" I asked of her, looking up somberly as I sat down on my throne. "It is quite obvious that they are starting to question my relationship with the girl. Is she more than a pet?" I said the last question sarcastically, mimicking the words I had heard.

"Well…is she?"

"Is she what?" My brows furrowed in confusion.

Pam huffed a sigh. "Is she more than just a pet to you, Eric?"

"She is." I stated lightly. All that I received was a deadly silence; the room began to feel tight. "I could cut the tension with a knife in here." I said curtly as I dribbled my fingernails on the arm of the throne.

"Eric, this has never happened. You…you are acting different. Your followers are starting to question your judgment on things. You threatened to kill your own guards if they didn't let you go by yourself to the rogue's hideout. You also gave Sookie your _blood_ with nearly all of your guards there to witness it. That wasn't a safe idea, it wasn't good. What if they rebel against you, thinking that you lost your nerve? That this girl is clouding your judgments?"

"I highly doubt that I lost my nerve, Pamela." I smirked. "And anyway, it does not matter in the end if the agree with me or not. What I did, what I am doing is of my concern, not theirs and definitely not yours."

"I'm just trying to get you to open your eyes and realize that you are acting different and it has everything to do with this girl."

"You are acting differently toward her as well, if I may be so bold." I shook my head. "You were never one to care for anything either, not a human at least and yet, you were frightened for Sookie's life, were you not?"

"That-That's different."

"How so?"

"Because I am not the ruler of this world!" She shouted. "I don't want to see you lose your crown, lose your reputation of a good leader just because of her."

"I never wanted this to begin with." I told her gently, unfazed by her outburst. "I never wanted to be the King of all vampires, but I took it because it was my own maker's wish. So, if the rebel-which I highly doubt-I could care less." I stood. It was faint but there was an emotion inside of me that wasn't my own. I had to get up to my apartment.

"Where are you going?" Pam hollered as I walked away.

"I'm going to check on Sookie. She has woken."

"How do you know?" She scoffed.

"The blood, Pamela." I shook my head. My child could be_ very_ dense at times.


	20. Lies and truth

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear readers!

I am so very sorry that I haven't been updating as much as I used to. I just haven't felt in the writing mood as of late, but do not fret, I will never give up on this story!

Things are started to get deep and by deep, I mean that in multiple ways! MUHAHAHAHA!

Okay, so I'm not going to ramble on and on. Read it and I hope you enjoy it!

Toward the end, I had to come up with a reason why Sookie would be the Fairy and why Hadley wouldn't. So, I came up with an idea, but I don't know if it contradicts anything that I have written about before. *sigh* Just bear with me, please. Lol.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

I was no longer in my body. I was…no longer flesh and bone. My once tanned body was no longer in sight as I looked down upon my own form to see that it had a wispy look to it and all I could think about was that I looked like a ghost.

Was this death? Was I dead?

Everything was dark. The surrounding area was nothing but blackness with little white things floating in the air like winter snow, falling to the ground in the settled night. That is what it reminded me of, except these white dots were not falling to the ground, but whizzing around my body, around the entire space that I was standing in. Such pure light these little things were giving off and each of them pulsated like a heartbeat. Were these souls? Is that what a real soul looked like? Great, I _must_ be dead.

But I did not feel peace and shouldn't one feel peace after they died? It is what I grew up on knowing; knowing and believing that to be true, but that wasn't the case. Was this Hell or a Limbo of some sorts? Again, I wasn't sure, but I was pissed off. What could I have done in my life to end up in Limbo or even Hell to just have to stand here for all eternity? That was clearly not the way I wanted to spend the rest of my eternity…just floating around with whizzing little blinking lights to keep me company.

This was madness and I would surely end up going crazy, stuck in this place. But again, was I really dead? I didn't feel dead, like something in my mind told me that I wasn't. Maybe an out of body experience? I've heard of those.

Just then, right in front of me, a blinding light broke through the darkness. It was so bright, so warm that I had to shield my very eyes from it and as I took my hands down, I nearly gasped. My home, my Gran's Bon Temps, Louisiana home was standing right before me; exactly how I remembered it to be.

I stepped forward slowly, reaching my wispy hand out to touch it, but I was too far away from the standing building. The door was open on the porch, like Gran would leave it when I was younger and outside playing in the yard with Jason. I gulped, stepping closer until I was by the threshold of that door. Carefully, I stepped inside, smelling what I used to smell ever morning; coffee.

I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. The tears would not form in my eyes, but that was alright. I walked inside, turned the corner and looked in the kitchen. There, at the little table, sat my Gran-who had died. I stood frozen for a moment or two, until I got ahold of my emotions and then I sat down at the other side of the table, looking directly at the woman who raised me since I was younger.

"G-Gran, am I dead?" It was the first thing that came to mind, the first thing I needed to be sure of.

"Oh, Sookie dear." Gran's voice was just as I remembered it, so loving and caring. She smiled. "You are not dead, so don't worry your little head about that. I need to talk to you, honey."

"W-Where am I?" I asked, reaching over to touch her. She grasped my hand in hers and the wispy look I had going on disappeared and I was back to normal. "What is this place?" I gripped.

"This is home." She chuckled. "This is where your mind drifted to when you needed rest."

"Home?" I whispered.

Images of the castle came back to me then and I realized, quickly as it came that I had no longer felt attached to my Bon Temps, Louisiana home an longer, but I thought of the castle, Eric's Castle to be my home. I belonged in that world because…because…I wasn't too sure as to why, but that was just how it was.

"You no longer wish to be home, Sookie?" Gran's brows furrowed. "This is just your imagination, you know. It is where you wanted to be, come back to for a little while."

"It's the p-past, Gran. I wanted the past, I guess, but I can't have that any more. You are dead."

She smiled sadly. "Yes, I know that I am dead, but I was called here."

"By who?" I questioned.

"By someone that wants you to be careful, Sookie." Gran's voice became serious and she pinned me with a knowing gaze. "You are walking a thin line and you do not even realize it, even realize that you are falling too far to one side, when you need to balance."

"More riddles from you." I mumbled darkly, shaking my head. "I don't have any idea what your letter you left me means."

"And you shall not know until it is necessary for you to." She replied gently. "It's not that I do not wish to tell you, but the fact that I _cannot_ tell you."

I stared at her hard for a moment. She was the same as I remembered; everything was the same, even the clothes that we had buried her in were the same and she was even keeping things from me still. I wanted to cry out to her, tell her that I must know what I need to know, but why would I even want to do that? What was there about me that was so special to her, to unknown people?

"You said that someone called you here because…I need to be careful?" I whispered, gripping her hand tighter in mine. She didn't look like she was going to answer. "G-Gran, please, I need to know why…"

"I cannot tell you exactly why, but I will tell you this, my dear." Her eyes fell to mine, narrowing slightly. "You are falling in love."

My eyes widened, I gulped as I looked down in guilt. Why would I feel guilt over something like that? I couldn't be in love…there was no way.

"Impossible." I murmured. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Oh, you know very well what and _who_ I am talking about, Sookie. I've been with you since I have died. I've become somewhat of a guardian angel and being that as it is, you are being careless of your heart."

My eyes snapped up, my brows furrowed. "Careless?"

"Very much so." She nodded. "He is dangerous. I've told you in the letter that you needed to protect your heart and yet, you defy my wishes. You are leaving it open, for him to just snatch whatever he wants from you."

"I'm not leaving anything open." I told her, begging her to understand. "Who are you talking about?"

"King Eric, Sookie. He wants so much from you and you cannot allow him to have it. Not now. He is dangerous, so very dangerous to you and what you have. Sookie, please, you must leave that castle and you must protect yourself."

Her voice was begging, pleading with me to understand, but that was just it. I couldn't understand what I didn't know. She wouldn't allow me to. I felt…anger toward her now, but that couldn't be right. She was my Gran, the one that took care of me since I was a child. She protected me and she still was, but it didn't feel that way. No, it felt like she was trying to run my life, with a stupid letter and her words that were ominous.

"You're wrong." I whispered, pulling my hand away. "He's not bad. He is a very good man."

"Come now, Sookie!" She shook her head. "He isn't even a man. He is a vampire, the king of vampires. Has he already gotten into your mind? Has he already worked his way fully into your heart?"

"I was never afraid of him to begin with. He…he is a good man, a good vampire."

"You are being thoughtless and more careless than I ever imagined you would be." Gran told me sternly, meeting my gaze head on. "You have no idea what he wants to do, what he is capable of doing. Eric Northman-the King of Vampires-is playing you and you are allowing it."

"I will not…listen to this." I gulped, clearing my throat because I felt like I was going to suffocate.

"Then you are a fool." She spoke strongly with so much conviction in her tone that it made me flinch back in my chair. "You will surely never change him with the way you are going, the way you are just opening yourself up for what he will take for you."

"Then tell me what he will take from me!" I stood, slamming my hands against the table.

Everything in the room had gone quiet. Gran looked at me in such a disappointed gaze that I could hardly take it. I have never, in all of my days, yelled at my Gran like I just did, not once. I always obeyed her every command, her every wish.

"I cannot…" She started.

"Yes, because you cannot tell me anything." I shook my head. "It's like I c-can't trust _you_, Gran! How am I supposed to believe Eric is dangerous when you won't tell me anything regarding as to why he is?"

"It's staring right in your face." Was what it sounded like she mumbled.

"I want to go home." I spoke gently, turning my eyes away from her.

"All I ask is that you tread this water carefully, Sookie because you never know when you might fall in. With everything that I have taught you, everything I did for you, I wish that you would just listen this once to what is really important."

I was quiet for a few moments, knowing full well that I was just angry and hurt with what she had tried to say to me, but I couldn't think like that. Eric was a good person, I knew it deep inside and I would…I would prove that because maybe, just maybe…I was already deeply in love with him and I couldn't back down now.

"I'll take my chances, Gran." I whispered.

"Sookie…" She shook her head in my direction. "You better hope that you can change him."

"Change him from what?" I whispered again, much more softly. "I am nothing…nothing special."

"You're wrong and you know it." She said at last, coming around the table to hug me. Regardless of anything we have just fought about and quite truthfully, I was more confused now than ever, I hugged her back. "I just want what is in your best interest and that vampire is not it. Good-bye, my dear."

-break-

I woke with a jolt, trembling as I looked down at my own body. Yep, it was there and had no wispy look to it. For that, I was very thankful. I rubbed my forehead, feeling slight dampness that was collecting there; perspiration. I was sweating rather bad, probably stunk too. I need a shower…I needed…

"Where am I?" I whispered, coming out of my own thoughts as I looked around.

I half expected to still be lying on the forest floor with a dying Alcide next to me, but I wasn't. I was in the bed and a rather big one at that. The room was pitch black, but I had a really good idea where I was; in Eric's apartment. Could all that I went through, the Black Hole, saving people, saving myself and seeing Gran, could that all have just been dreams? It was unlikely, because I was sure that all happened, but that brought more questions to mind.

Why didn't I ask Gran about the weird light that came from my body? I wasn't sure that happened, because there was no possibly way that it could have in reality. No, but, it did…I remember it clearly. There was light and I shot it at the rogue vampires that surrounded us because I didn't want to die. Survival at its fittest? No human could do that, right? Well, I did have a weird mind reading ability…maybe...

"I'm crazy." I groaned.

Bringing my legs up I hugged them tightly, afraid that if I would move I would surely just scream from frustration. What was going on? What was happening to me? In all my years of being an outcast, the crazy girl, I've never felt as deprived of knowledge as I do right now. I felt tears pool in my eyes as I shook with unshed emotion, but that all quieted down when I heard the door click open.

I turned over quickly, rubbing my eyes in a hurried motion.

"Just because you wipe them away, doesn't mean that I won't know they were there." His voice was soft.

I closed my eyes, losing the strength to attempt to hide what I was feeling, hide the tears that just wanted to fall freely for once out of anger and frustration. I rolled back over, on my back and stared at the ceiling.

"Hello, Eric." I whispered in the darkness.

"Hello, Sookie." He replied.

I heard shuffling now, like he was walking across the floor. The next thing I knew the bed jostled and I felt a hand grabbing my own. I looked up, not being able to see him at all, but I saw his silhouette in the dark room. I sighed and gripped his hand, hoping that his strength he always had would somehow envelop me fully. It didn't work and my mind shifted to more questions that I had.

"When did I get back to the castle? Is Alcide alright?" I pulled my hand away, sitting up carefully on his giant bed.

"Alcide is fine and you got back about three days ago."

"T-Three days?" I gasped. "Are you saying that…I was asleep for that long?"

"Yes." He stated simply. "I had my doctors' look over you and they said that your body went through quite a lot of strain, but they weren't sure what had caused that."

There was something about his tone that sent a warning to my brain. My Gran's words echoed in my mind. That he was dangerous, but…he hadn't ever been dangerous in my opinion and therefore I should not fear the man that saved my life a few times now. He was…Eric, King Eric and I would not fear this man, ever.

"I was…bitten." I told him as I remembered. "The rogues bit me multiple times. I thought…I thought I was dead, Eric. How…?"

"You would have died," He said swiftly, a slight growl in the back of his throat now. "Had I not given you blood to survive and heal your wounds."

"Oh," I murmured, blinking slowly. "That's forbidden though. I've heard about it being…something vampires aren't supposed to do."

"They are not supposed to give a human their blood," He nodded in agreement. "But you would have died otherwise and I wouldn't have let you."

"You went against the rules…for me?" I asked tentatively. It was a sweet gesture on his part.

He blew out air, a long drawn out sigh as he stood from the bed. "I've already dealt with some coming to tell me about that. I've heard whispers of people talking about it and I do not need you on top of them telling me my faults. I did it because you needed to survive."

His voice was so low, so…menacing now. He was angry, furious if I wanted to go that far, but he was hiding it rather well. How could I tell though? How did I know what he was feeling?

"You have no idea, Sookie, how reckless you were. I had no other choice in the matter. It was either to give you blood or you would have died. I wouldn't turn you, but that is neither here nor there. The point is that you purposely put yourself in danger and nearly got killed _twice_; once from the Black Hole and then Rogue Vampires." He turned to look at me. "What do you have to say for yourself? Is there a reason why you had to be so heroic?"

That quieted me for a moment as I looked down at the sheets I was gripping in my hands tightly. I gulped, trying desperately to push the idea out of my mind that he was dangerous. My heart thundered in my chest for a whole different reason than fear though, as my eyes turned to look at him in the dark.

"I had to simply do something. I couldn't stand there and watch those people die. It's just who I am, Eric and I am sorry if I…worried you."

"…Worried me?" He scoffed harshly. "I could hardly call it worrying, Sookie. I was not worried because I knew what I had to do; _give you blood_, but that doesn't mean a thing. I would never have had to listen to those whisperings that I went against my own rules that I created if you would have just been careful."

"You didn't have to save me, you know." It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. Stupid filter.

"Oh?" He turned to look at me, coming close to the bed now. "I didn't? You would have rather died? Have you seen death, Sookie?"

"W-What?" I whispered as he crawled on the bed, pushing me down on the sheets to tower over me. I didn't move, I couldn't.

"I asked if you saw death. You were very close to dying. It's a simple question, my dearest. I suggest you answer."

I could see his eyes now, see the anger as it emanated from him and nearly set me aflame where I laid. I took in a deep breath, feeling not fear, but curiosity. I looked at him soberly before I answered him.

"Yes." It was not a lie, by any means. "I saw death in the form of my Grandmother who wished for me to be careful."

He was stunned by my answer. His brows furrowed as he got off of me, sitting next to where my body laid. "Your…Grandmother?" He questioned lightly.

"She was already dead and I had a dream about her just a little while ago. Therefore, I've seen death as you so put it." I nodded in reply, not daring to go any further.

He wasn't having that however. "And she wanted you to be careful? Careful of what?"

I thought quickly, coming up with an answer that was not a lie, but not fully the truth either. I didn't want him to know that maybe…I was already in love with him or for him to also think my Gran was bat crazy because she wouldn't tell me what exactly Eric was trying to take from me.

"She wanted me to protect my heart because I was getting close to someone."

"Protect your heart?" He raised a brow.

"From heartache if it ends badly." I told him, not really sure why any more.

"You'll have to do better than that, Sookie." Was all that he said. "You see, I can feel your emotions now and I can tell when you are lying."

"I'm not lying!" I growled.

"But it's not the full truth either what you just said."

I held in the urge to gasp as I looked up at him. He could feel my emotions, but… "How?" I questioned.

"You drank quite a bit of my blood. It's how it works." He shrugged. "Now tell me, what you are keeping to yourself?"

"I don't know what you want me to say." I whispered.

"It's simple. What did your Grandmother tell you in this dream?"

I bit my lip harshly, but I knew I could not lie to him if what he was saying was true. "She told me to be careful around you. She said you were dangerous."

It was his turn to pause. "She did, did she?" His voice was musing.

I nodded. It was time that I told him something of the truth at least. I had no idea what I was doing, why everyone thought I was so special and important. "But I don't know _why_ she told me to be careful. There is no reason to fear you, in my opinion. I'm nothing special, Eric and I know that you do not fall in love, so there is no reason to be careful around you."

There was a pause before laughter erupted in the room. I jumped at the sound of it, not expecting something like that to come from his mouth. I looked up in time to see his grin flash in my direction. He shook his head, his hair falling over his shoulder as he sucked in some air.

"What?" I questioned, raising a brow.

"You're answer…it was hilarious and the most funny part of it all was that you were telling me the truth." He laughed again, this time I smiled. It was like he was talking to himself; but again, I had no idea what was going on.

"And that…is funny?" I asked, blinking rather stupidly in confusion. "That's funny to you? Would you rather me lie?"

Eric turned to glare at me, his laughter dying out. "I still think you need to be careful around me."

"What?"

"For you see," He purred, leaning over me once again. This time his hands pinned my arms down at my sides. "I was rather furious with you. You did wrong, even if you thought it was right, my dearest. I think you need to be punished. Don't you agree?"

"Punished?" I deadpanned below him.

"Yes." He said seductively. "What do humans call it? Ah. I think Sookie needs a _spanking_." My eyes grew wide as his devilish smirk rose on his lips. "And while we are at it, my dear pet, I want you to be honest with me with a few more questions, like: how pure light came from your body when you fought off the rogue vampires."

* * *

><p><strong>Narrator POV:<strong>

Elsewhere in the castle, while King Eric hovered over Sookie in his bed, another meeting was being held without his knowing. Far deeper in the canals built for an easy escape if needed, four people stood; three of them surrounding a blond haired Vampire that was currently chained to the wall.

"There is something about Miss Stackhouse that we do not know, boys." Sophie-Anne's voice echoed off of the dripping rock walls.

"We all know there is, but it never has been openly spoken of, only whispers." A vampire named Russell spoke then, shaking the chains that bound the blond vampire. The said vampire whimpered as the silver cut into their wrists, bloody tears making lines down their cheeks.

"King Eric did something that none of us expected. He gave her his blood." A brown haired vampire stepped forward out of the shadows and under the moonlight that was shining down in an opening at the top of the tunnel.

"Yes, he went against the rules he had set, but why? She is a mere girl or so everyone thinks." Sophie-Anne tapped her chin. "No, there is something about her and I am sure my child could help with that."

"Is that why you have her chained, Sophie-Anne? I thought it was just kinky on your part." Russell chuckled cruelly. "She disobeyed you, I'm guessing?"

"She has done much more than just disobey me. She has lied to me." Sophie-Anne did not even give her child a look as she spoke to her. "Haven't you, Hadley?"

"S-Stop, please…just s-s-stop." Hadley cried harder.

"Oh, now why would I do that, my love?" Sophie-Anne stepped forward. "You know the girl, I know for a fact that you do because you were so close to her on that nightly stroll awhile back. I wonder what Sookie is keeping hidden. Mind telling me, dear, why Eric seems so involved with a simple human girl?"

"Please…" Hadley said desperately.

"Open your mouth and tell me. I demand it of you, my child. I will not be defied again." Sophie-Anne growled, grabbing Hadley's chin in her grasp and squeezing.

"Doesn't look like she will speak." The brown haired vampire shook his head.

"Shut up, Bill Compton! She will speak, because a vampire cannot deny their maker's wishes, or have you forgotten that? You were Lorena's lap dog and you could never go against her wishes, now could you?"

Bill growled menacingly, rolling his eyes as he looked passed Sophie-Anne's words. "Well, there is something your child does not want to tell you and that just puts another piece of the puzzle together doesn't it?"

"You are right." Russell nodded. "Eric cares for this girl, enough to where he is giving her his blood to live. He wants something from this girl because I am not foolish enough to believe that our beloved king has fallen in love."

"Answer me, now, Hadley! What is so important about Sookie that you know?" Sophie-Anne whispered in Hadley's ear.

It was too much, she couldn't hold on any longer, though she desperately wanted to. When your maker tells you to do something, it's a reaction, impulse. Her mouth trembled as bloody tears fell harder down her cheeks.

"S-Sookie…is my cousin." Hadley sobbed.

"What?" Sophie-Anne's lips turned up into a smile, her eyes sparkled.

"What does that matter?" Russell asked, yawning.

"Oh, it means everything." Sophie-Anne replied. "Hadley wasn't born in this world, but was brought here through a portal."

"So, this Sookie girl came through the portal as well?" Russell joined in on the smirking.

"It seems so." Sophie-Anne chuckled loudly. "And with the way Eric is protecting her…well, I wouldn't be surprised if she was in fact…" She trailed off.

"The fairy we have been waiting for." Bill finished.

"How is that possible though?" Russell asked. "If Hadley and Sookie are kin, then how can one be a fairy but the other can't?"

"I'm not too sure, but I've heard rumors. It used to be a very highly talked about subject in Supernatural meetings." Bill spoke. He turned to Sophie-Anne and began to tell her what he had learned over the years. "The family that would have Fae blood in them, even a small amount, wouldn't have fairy abilities until a Fae would pick a certain person in said family to carry on the lineage of the Fae. If a human and a fairy had sex and created children, then for each generation…only one would be able to carry the magic of the Fae. Said children would have to have the Essential Spark within them and once the Fae find it, locate it in whichever child in each generation, then they will give that child power." Bill turned to Hadley. "She has Fae blood in her, so she is technically a half-fae, but without the Essential Spark, that means nothing."

"I would bet anything on that theory, Bill." Sophie-Anne nodded. "So, the question still lies in between us."

"And what would that be, Sophie?" Russell asked softly.

"Are we going allow Eric to wish upon the fairy or are we going to get what we've always wanted?" She smiled, petting Hadley's face in her hand.


	21. Hell breaks loose

**Author's Notes:** Hello!

Okay, so I am back with another chapter. And I know it has been forever.

This one was rather hard for me to get out, into words. I hope it is okay. I feel like I rushed most of it, but I was just already late on giving out the chapter, so I had to write. *sigh*

I haven't been feeling very good lately, but not in a sick way. I've been really depressed, but it always happens around this time of year, because of things that happened in my past. Please forgive me if the chapters take a lot longer to come out.

So, here we go.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p>"You cannot be serious." I told him, nervousness in my tone.<p>

"Oh, I am highly serious, my pet." Eric raised an eyebrow.

I moved quickly, somehow getting out from under him only to jump under the covers as if the blanket itself would shield me from what he planned on doing. I was beyond embarrassed and quite truthfully, I haven't been spanked in forever. The last time was when I was like seven and it was because Jason and I accidentally tore up Gran's flower bed with the plow we kept in the shed. It was not done intentionally, though we deserved it.

This was different though. Somehow he made it sound incredibly naughty. If he could only see my face right now, he would laugh. I know he would. I could feel all the blood rush to my cheeks, filling them up and making them bright red. I curled up as I felt him reposition himself on me; hovering just above the covers I was taking shelter under.

I wasn't afraid, far from it. This was a thrilling kind of thing and yet, I still didn't want to be spanked. That was just…not me, in any way, but could I really deny him what he wanted? I was his pet, after all and I haven't been giving him anything from our relationship. Only twice had I given him my blood, only two times since I started this. Granted, it hadn't been awfully long, but still…I wasn't doing my part.

But, _spanking_? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that he enjoys kinky things.

He also wanted to know how light came from my hand, my body and I couldn't tell him how. It's not that I didn't want to tell him, but it was just as unknown to him as it was to me. I was…afraid. In that moment of time, the pillar of thrill began to fade away only to bring fear, utter fear of the unknown of why I was different now.

Was there something I didn't see about myself? Was I not getting the whole picture?

"Sookie…?" Eric's voice was rough now, except…it was laced with concern, in a way. "Are you…afraid?"

How could I lie to him? Simple answer really. I couldn't lie to him anymore, about anything apparently because I had his blood in me, which meant that somehow my emotions transferred over to him in some freaky, supernatural way. That was like…invasion of privacy in my mind, but I wouldn't come outright and tell him that.

"Yes." I murmured against the sheet.

As quickly as my cover was on me, it was off and Eric was meeting my eyes in haste. I gazed at him somberly, breathing shallowly as he moved a stray hair from my face. It tickled my nose along its course, but I hardly felt that.

"I wouldn't…hurt you." Somehow, that promise didn't touch his eyes. My own narrowed in confusion. "The spanking…I was kidding…sort of."

I smiled because I couldn't help it. He always could make me feel better, couldn't he?

"Sort of?" I asked.

"I want to touch you." He shrugged, being completely honest. "Meaning that I wouldn't mind tapping your ass with my hand a few times, especially to make you talk."

I frowned suddenly, avoiding his gaze all together. "I don't know what you want from me."

"I want to know how the light came from your hands, your body." He said just as softly, leaning down over me again. His hair fell off his right shoulder and began to swing back and forth. I tried to focus on that and that alone, because if I didn't…I might freak out.

"I don't know." I whispered, so softly that I could barely hear it.

"You…don't know?" He didn't sound too convinced.

It was like he was searching for something, something within me that he knew he would find, but to me…there was nothing that I could physically tell him, that would explain how it happened. I was confused, upset, and angry that I didn't understand what was happening to me.

"I don't know how it happened. I just…" I rolled off, licking my lips until they were moist. They felt dry all of a sudden. "I didn't want to die and the next thing I knew…light came out and…and it was like instinct, Eric. That's the best way I can tell you. I don't know how to explain it to you, when I don't understand it myself."

"You are…being honest with me." He seemed shocked, beyond shocked really. I watched as he stood up suddenly, backing away from me all together. His hand ran through his fallen bangs. "You need to go back to your room now. You are fine and your health seems to be better. I will collect you, when I want to see you again."

My heart thundered painfully in my chest as I sat up. "Did I…do something wrong, Eric?"

His eyes that were looking everywhere but towards me, met mine. He wasn't even blinking, but I was sure as hell he was thinking of something. I couldn't read his mind, I couldn't find out what was going on in there. I desperately wanted to know, but I just couldn't get a read on vampires.

"No, you didn't do anything. Everything…is fine." He whispered. "Please…leave."

"A-Alright." I nodded, getting off of his bed and trudging my way to the door.

I hoped that he would at least stop me, apologize for making me feel bad…like he didn't want me. I guess…that was to be expected when a girl wouldn't 'put out' as some people call it. It probably also got to him that I was some sort of freak, that even I didn't understand and couldn't tell him what was going on.

I waited outside his door for a few moments, just listening and hearing nothing in return. It was a horrible feeling, the hurt within my heart. I never thought it was so possible to feel that way, but then again, what did I expect? I told him before that I wouldn't fall so easily for him and yet, that is exactly what I was doing. I was falling hard and fast for this Vampire King, and he didn't even have to really do anything for me to even get me there.

He wasn't coming after me at the moment. He wasn't going to chase after me and I really didn't expect that he would anyway. Maybe…this was it? Maybe he was finally tired of me, tired of telling me about himself, and tired of waiting for me to be ready for everything a pet should do.

With a stiff form, I walked to the elevator and descended.

**-break-**

Three months had passed since that fateful night of him telling me to leave his room. It still hurt, even to this day because we had never really talked about what had happened that night. Eric had been so distant, not calling on me for anything. I stood by his side when he talked and had conversations with other vampires, but he just wouldn't look at me…ever. It was as if I wasn't even there, in the room with him whenever he talked.

He had been feeding off of other women as well, not daring to even ask for a sip of my own blood. Jealousy reared its ugly head on quite a few occasions, but I knew better than make a scene in front of everyone, because that is where he fed; in front of his vampire council, maids, guards and _me_.

I wanted to leave, finally not being able to take it, but he would hear none of that either. Why would he want me to stick around…if he was tired of me? I was sure he was. Everything that he was doing indicated that he was just over me all together. It hurt more than I could rightfully say because in those three months, I knew that I loved him more than I loved anything else in either world. And just because he was ignoring me, feeding on other pets, it didn't change the way I felt about him. It wasn't easy, just forgetting about someone when you love them so dearly. Though, I wished it would be.

I looked out upon the grounds, watching the snow fall to the earth. The snow was even different here, much larger snowflakes; the biggest I have ever seen anywhere. It coated the earth in a thick blanket of white, sparkling white. The sky was dark, cloudy and it just made me feel worse. Somehow the sky looked sad, masking me in its feelings as if it was calling to me, telling that it was somehow crying icy tears for the ones that wouldn't fall from my own eyes.

For the very first time since I have been here, I wished that I wasn't. I wished I was back at Gran's, sitting by the fire and hearing her tell me stories of fairytales that I now knew to be real, but I didn't want them to be real. I would have wanted them to be just what they were supposed to be; folklores and legends and nothing more than a good read on snowy days like this one.

I wished that I never believed in them in the first place, wished that I never even asked myself why I seemed to be different than everyone else on Earth because look at where it got me. In a lonely apartment, in a castle, in a different world and…all that it seemed to bring anymore was utter sadness.

I felt isolated from the experiences I was once happy to look forward to, when I first stepped into Symperia. I was lost, more now than I ever was back in my own world. I had nothing to show from this part of my life because…no one wanted anything to do with me it seemed. It was different, all around different and not in a good way anymore. I was tired, so very tired.

The wind blew in my direction, ruffling the pages of paper that I was holding in my hands tightly. I wasn't wearing the coat Pam had brought up to me, telling me that it was from Eric. Of course, he couldn't have given it to me himself, that was too much trouble on him. I didn't feel the cold, the only indicator that I was still alive, able to feel, was for the fact that I had goosebumps on my arms and my heart still beat slowly, rhythmically.

I slid down the window, sitting on the small layer of snow that was able to fall on the balcony itself. The papers in my hands were useless to me because it didn't show or tell me anything that might help me in the predicament that I was in. No more words would come when I asked, making me believe that my Gran had nothing left to tell me. The riddles I still could not figure out and truthfully, I didn't care anymore. I didn't care what I could be, what that light that came from my hands was, and certainly not the fact that I could read minds.

I could hardly hold the barriers up anymore, keeping everyone's thoughts out. They all just slipped through anyway and finally I just gave up, letting them take me and cover me in their hateful words. Yes, almost every thought was hateful, mean and those all came from the other pets. I never heard evil thoughts from the Weres because they were always too busy doing other things.

The pets, the ones that were with Eric, loved to torture me it seemed. Thinking nasty and vile thoughts all the while he drank from them. It was as if they knew of my secret and just wanted to open new flesh wounds when they looked at me, smiled at me, moaned so loudly that could literally break my ear drums while Eric would feed. He didn't seem to care about that, that they just wanted to fuck with my head.

"Why am I even here anymore?" I whispered, crumbling the pages in my hand. I felt a paper cut, the first real thing my body felt in so long now.

I looked down at it, watching the blood ooze to the surface and slowly spill down my finger. It hurt; but not nearly what I needed to prove to me that I was actually still able to feel something, anything.

"What do you mean, why are you even here?"

I gasped, shoving the papers in my pocket and turning to look up at the man that had been ignoring me for three months. He seemed stiff, he didn't want to be here and I knew that. His hair was up in a tight pony tail like usual, and his face was set in a grim line. I looked down, unable to look into his eyes anymore. He was different, so cut off from me that I could no longer reach in and make him smile as I once did.

"Nothing." I said softly, standing up and dusting off the snow that caked my jeans.

"You are going to catch a cold, standing outside while there is a blizzard."

"Really?" I deadpanned. "I think I'll take my chances. I hardly ever get sick anyway."

"Come inside." His voice wasn't asking, it was demanding.

I hesitated for a moment before I sighed. Turning around, I walked in behind him as he slowly went to the fireplace and began to get it set up. He worked easily, quickly and soon the roaring fire was crackling and the smell of burning firewood masked the whole room. I sat down on the floor next to it, finally feeling just how cold my body really was. I shivered, needing to thaw out from being outside in that snow storm for over two hours. I might just get sick…might.

"You are stupid." He whispered, tossing something around my shoulders.

I picked up the small material. It was my blanket; the one Nancy had sewn for me a little over two months ago. It was a gift and though I didn't feel all that great at the time, it was a nice gesture and did in fact make me smile. I huddled closer, trying to grab the warmth that the fire and blanket had to offer.

"What else is new," I mumbled, more to myself than to him, but he had heard it. I was sure of that.

"It was reckless to be out in the frigid air, regardless if you have hardly ever gotten sick." He told me, sitting down on the couch with ease.

Eric's eyes were trained to the fire, watching it burn and I turned my attention back to that for what seemed like forever. I don't know how many seconds, minutes or even hours passed before he moved. He came to sit next to me on the floor and grabbed my hand. For just a moment, his hand felt warm in my touch, for the first time. I was still ice cold, I still felt like a frozen popsicle.

"You cut your finger and you still haven't treated it."

"It stopped bleeding, so I didn't think I needed a bandage for it." I shrugged.

"Still, the scent of your blood lingers rather strongly in the air." He said.

Quickly, before I could even see it properly, his fangs popped out and he poked his own finger against it. I watched as his own blood boiled to the surface much slower than mine. He brought it next to my finger and gently rubbed his blood against the small cut. In a matter of moments, it healed before my very eyes.

My brows rose in somewhat curiosity, "It really does heal."

"Of course it does." He said as if that was a stupid statement and it really was. I was just shocked, that I actually got to see his blood work this time.

"Can," I stopped, not sure if I was still entitled to ask questions. He raised a brow as if telling me it was alright and I continued, "Can vampire blood…treat everything? Heal everything?"

"No." He told me swiftly. "There are some diseases that my blood cannot cure, but it would slow down the disease if they drank a bit of the blood. They would live a little longer if they did, but they would still die in the end. The only way to cure it-let's say cancer if the person who wanted to be treated was dying from it, for instance-would be vampirism. Someone would have to turn that person for the disease to go away, but that person would look the same forever. That person in question would always look sickly. It's a decision that some people I have known of took. They didn't care if they looked sick for the rest of their existence. They just wanted to stay alive."

"I could…understand that, I guess." I whispered.

I couldn't believe that people, even here, suffered from cancer. It hurt my heart greatly to hear that there were cases like that, but I tried not to think of it.

"What have you been doing, Sookie?" Eric looked around my apartment in distaste. It was rather messy. I just didn't feel up to keeping it as clean as I normally would have if I was perky and happy.

"Just didn't feel up to cleaning lately." I spoke out loud, the thoughts that just ran through my head.

"That isn't like you. You always seemed like a…neat and tidy person."

"I was." I shrugged. "Things change."

"I'm not certain I like this change." His nose wrinkled.

"Does it even concern you anymore?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it.

"Excuse me?"

I slapped my hands against my mouth and with a muffled voice I answered, "I'm sorry. That just slipped out."

"Don't think I am just going to accept your apology with what you had just said." He growled, standing.

"I didn't mean it, I swear." I whispered.

"You obviously meant it, because it 'slipped out'. What did you mean by that, Sookie?"

"You haven't been around. You give no indication that you even _want _me around. So, why does _my_ apartment, _my_ mess concern you anymore?" I felt anger now, very strong anger.

"It concerns me because you are living in _my_ castle, in _my_ apartment. I haven't been around because I had quite a lot to think about and I came today, to apologize for the way I was acting, but if you think that way…then maybe I don't have any use for you anymore."

"You can't turn this around on me, buddy!" I stood too, seeing red. I poked the middle of his chest.

Before I could scream or even move, I was pressed up against the wall with him snarling in front of me. I gulped, turning my face to the side. He wasn't having that however because he jerked my face back to meet his angry eyes.

"Do not call me 'buddy'. I am your King and you are my pet." He spoke solemnly, anger making his words sharp. "And never, ever, _poke _me again. I cannot stress that enough to you. I am not your friend and you are living in my home, eating what I provide in this castle. I am above you in every way and I will not take that kind of attitude when I have been nothing but gracious and timid when it comes to you."

"Gracious, Eric…._really_?" I fumed, not caring what he could possibly do to me.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Then you are a moron." I replied with conviction.

I met his upset gaze with my own, taunting him without even realizing that I was doing so. His hands grasped my wrists, pushing them above my head. His knee pushed my legs apart and he pushed up, hitting my lower regions. I whimpered as he came in contact, not expecting it to feel that damn good. His body pushed against mine, getting as close as humanly possible. He growled in my face, his nose an inch away from my own.

"You are playing with fire, little girl." He snarled. "Do you know what happens when you play with fire?"

"Enlighten me." I provoked.

We shifted again, much quicker than before. I felt actually nauseous at first. My head hit the floor with a bang and I felt the urge to yell out in pain, but I didn't feel the pain that should have been there. Before I knew what had happened, his lips came in contact with mine suddenly. When he pulled away, my lips were puffy and probably bruised. I glared at him as my heart raced in my chest, my breath coming out in pants.

"You get burned." He said right before his fangs pierced my neck.

My back arched off of the floor and he took that as leverage. Pushing his hands under my back, he lifted me until I was somehow cradled in his arms as he fed slowly. My eyes were screwed shut because at first it absolutely hurt, but soon that all faded into a warmth that filled me completely. I became putty in his hands, those same hands that were secured tightly around me, pulling me closer to his stiff form.

Eric made a noise then, somewhere in between a groan and a whimper. It was…adorable, if I wanted to go that far and nearly made me smile. How could I go from being upset with him to thinking he was…cute? How is that even possible? I didn't know, nor did I want to really press the matter further.

He was showing me dominance, wasn't he? That he wasn't going to take anyone's crap and right now, I was the one that was dishing it out…therefore, he needed to punish me, like he did countless others, just in a different way.

I began to feel faint, and with as much force as I could, I pushed against his chest. He didn't even move an inch. His mouth devoured me, sucking hard and then his tongue lingered against my skin, lapping at the blood that began to flow down my chest. I shivered as his lips covered the bites once more, sucking so powerfully that I began to see stars.

"Eric," I whispered.

This wasn't normal, the way he was doing this. I've seen him get his fill and it didn't ever take this long. I felt sick and so very tired all of a sudden. This was bad, very bad indeed.

"Sookie…"

His whisper alone made me almost forget about it all, and just let him finish me off. It was a pleading kind of sound, so very needy. I wanted him to continue, his voice hurt me deeply. It was as if he needed to drink as much as he could and…I almost allowed him.

I pulled away, ripping my arms away from him and falling flat on my back. I stared up at the ceiling, breathing heavily. The wound was still bleeding, but I ignored it. I tried to find my beating heart within me and located it quickly. It was erratic, beating so strongly and wildly.

"I'm…sorry, truly I am." He cleared his throat, I could hear that clearly. "You needed to be punished for your attitude, but I didn't mean to take that much. Let me…let me help you."

"Help me how?" I asked, turning my head to the side to see that he lay down next to me.

"By you taking more of my blood." He replied.

"Won't you get into more trouble?"

"I was never 'in trouble' to begin with. I made the rules therefore I believe I can break them. Besides, no one is here this time." He paused, waiting for me to say something, but I didn't. He continued, "Now hurry, before I change my mind."

I heard a slight ripping sound before I felt his wrist against my lips. Carefully I leaned up and placed my mouth around the wound and drank slowly. It was delicious, not nearly as coppery as I would have believed it to be. I wanted more, to drink as much as I could because…it made me feel differently. I felt, energetic in a way and somewhat powerful.

All too soon he pulled his wrist away from me and I wiped the back of my hand across my mouth to collect any left overs that I had missed. I licked that off before I met his gaze. His face was still grim as if he wasn't sure he should have done that, give me his blood. I could feel his emotions…stronger than before. He felt…

"Guilt?" I whispered.

"What?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Why are you…feeling guilty?"

"Many reasons." He shrugged.

Okay, he wasn't going to tell me and he was better at coming up with ways to avoid a subject than I was. I wanted to press him further, but really, I think I've went my limit for tonight. I felt guilty for what I had said, making it lead to where it went. I bit my lip, blinking slowly before I spoke.

"I'm sorry, for saying those things. It's just you haven't wanted to spend time with me like normal. It's all confusing me, because I don't know what you want. You never asked for my blood in three months, you never…even talked to me much."

"I had quite a bit to deal with." Again with the evasive answers. I was getting rather used to them by now. "Listen," He changed the subject. "The pets are having a ball of sorts tonight. It's in thanks for all that they give us vampires. Everyone is invited and I wanted you to stand by my side as my pet. I know I haven't been nearly as courteous to you lately as I have in the past, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you here. On the contrary, I plan on keeping you for quite some time."

"Why?" I asked. "Not that I'm not grateful…" It came out slightly sarcastic.

"Because you mean something more to me than I originally planned on." He whispered.

"W-What are you saying, Eric?" My heart thundered in my chest once more, but this time in hope.

He gave me a narrowed eyed gaze. "It does not mean that I am in love with you, if that is what you are thinking."

"Of course not." I nodded. "I never thought of it like that, but…you care for me?"

He paused; the room went quiet for quite some time. Finally he spoke, "Sookie this is hard on me, more than I can really say. But, yes…I care for you…more than I probably should."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I had the urge to put my hands on my hips, kind of insulted.

"Nothing," He looked away.

"Mmm." I huffed a sigh. "Well, maybe I don't want you to care for me then."

He smirked; I saw it out of the corner of my eye. "Sookie, I must tell you something."

"And what is that?" I raised an eyebrow.

He leaned over, pushing my hair out of the way and exposed the still opened wound. I heard a snick of his fangs, before he licked it there. I felt my skin began to heal once more. I shivered, barely, but I still did.

"You are a very, very bad liar, and I don't even need to feel your emotions to know that."

I've gone through quite a few emotions since he came here. Anger, excitement, and so much more that I could barely wrap my head around it. All in all, I was happy that he was finally speaking to me again. I doubted I would ever learn why he acted the way he did that night, but right now, in this moment, it didn't matter. None of it did, not the way I acted tonight and not the way he acted either. I finally felt at least wanted…a little bit, and that was all that mattered to me.

**-Break-**

"I see his majesty is talking to you once again." Loral Devine spoke behind me.

I had just made my way down the steps, looking around at the main hall where the parties were usually held. Everything was decorated; streamers of gold and red were hanging down from the chandelier, with tiny little baubles floating down next to them from the ceiling above. They were crystal, in different shapes. My eyes caught them for a second, and I tried to focus on those alone, but Loral's mind was buzzing in my own.

Loral was one of the pets Eric had been with in the last three months, feeding off of. She was the most snarky and bitchy woman that ever walked this dimension. I was surprised that she took a moment to actually speak to me, instead of just advancing on Eric like her thoughts were putting out.

I sighed deeply, turning around with a fake smile on my face.

"Hello, Loral," I began. "Yes, King Eric has in fact started to speak with me once more. It is nice, for a change."

"Did he pick out your dress for you?" She raised an eyebrow.

I looked down at my outfit. It was a rather…_exotic _piece that I would have never worn before. The front dipped very much, showing off more cleavage than I wanted to. It was long; going down to my ankles. The sides of the dress were practically non-existent because of the tie up sides. The strings there crisscrossed, back and forth until they hit my waistline where the dress would flare slightly out and fall down. It was blood red, and very much authentic silk.

So much skin was showing, and of course anyone would be an idiot if they thought I picked out this dress.

"Yes," I nodded. "His majesty did pick out this dress. He said it rather…fit my beauty."

Loral wrinkled her nose slightly before she put on a smile of her own. "I see."

"Yes." I smiled, more of a taunting one now. "Will that be all, Loral? King Eric would like it if I stood by him tonight. He wanted me to accompany him tonight as his only pet."

She merely nodded and I went on my way, feeling a very happy pleasure about pissing her off. She thought I looked fabulous in the dress, her thoughts told me so. She would never say that out loud for the fact that I had everything she wanted from Eric, and just because she hated my guts.

I thought I looked nice as well. I thought it definitely flattered my body, but I was uncomfortable in it. Not that anyone would notice that of course. Since I've been here, since I've seen so much, I am able to carry myself better. If these women were going to be assholes all the time, then I would just dish it right back in their faces, in a more…nicely done way though. Being overly sweet—that gets underneath everyone's skin, and Loral was no different.

I spotted Eric out of the crowd with ease, and I silently smiled to myself. He caught my eyes, and I felt an emotion from him. Surprise. That led on to more emotions, but one that stood out above the rest—lust. His eyes smoldered as I stepped over and bowed low in front of him.

No matter how our odd relationship is, what happens during day to day basis; it didn't matter. Something inside of me told me that we were connected on a level that no one could even understand, which led to me believing that it didn't matter if we fought today, that he bit me, that I called him a moron to his face, or that I hardly talked to him in three months. It all slowly fell into place again, like that eventful night never even happened, and that we were on a level of some kind of understanding of this weird relationship we had. We didn't need words anymore.

It was like nothing could come even close to touching this unseen force we shared. If I had to be honest, that scared me, and excited me. I knew there was something between us, I knew that he cared for me, and I knew that I loved him more dearly than I had loved anyone before. That was the exciting part.

The scary part was that I didn't understand most of it. I didn't understand why we could go back and forth, but then be close like those bad things never happened. I didn't quite understand the pull he had over me, and I didn't think he understood it either. There is something, there is a connection, a spark.

"You look…." For once in a long while, Eric was lost for words.

I smiled, bending my head. "Thank you." I said regardless.

"Shall we dance?" He held out his hand for me.

I took it, carefully placing my hand in his as his other arm wrapped around my back. He pulled me closer until I was right against his chest. Soft music began to play, and he twirled me in his grasp. My heart raced in my chest, like it normally would.

Why did we have this connection? What was the purpose of it? Why did it not matter?

Questions were questions, but there were never any answers when it came to mine. I wanted to understand Eric, wanted to know why he acted strangely in the last three months, and why nothing seemed to matter when we were together, like this…this close to each other.

I didn't have a care in the world when he danced with me. The time could have literally stood still, and I still would not have noticed.

My eyes found his, and I was sure he was thinking the same as me. He knew there was something about us, why neither of us could…let the other go. I could have walked out of this castle in those three months, he could have kicked me out, and yet, neither of us did. Neither of us _wanted_ to.

Eric slowly guided us away from the group, coming out to a hallway down the left hall. I looked around, leaning against the wall as he hovered in front of me. Something was about to change between us, something…heavy and big, all at once.

His lips fell to mine carefully, brushing against my own in such a tender way. I sighed, closing my eyes.

"You love me." His voice came out in a wispy way, soft and light, but with a sigh somehow attached to it.

My eyes snapped open, and I met his. I was not embarrassed by it. I knew that since he could feel my emotions that would soon come out. I blinked slowly, not daring to look away from him.

"Yes," I agreed. "And, I do know that you don't fall in love. I understand that, but…I can't help it."

He looked at me carefully, his eyes shifting slightly as he took in my words. "Yes, I understand that as well. Feelings…are feelings, and you cannot change them. Maybe that is why you were so upset this evening, and also why you let me bite into your skin and drink from you, without fighting me. I had hoped…"

"Hoped?" My brows furrowed. "Hoped what?"

"I had hoped that you would have tried to stop me when I first bit. I intended and even predicted that you would. But you didn't." He shook his head. "Sookie, you draw me in, in a way I cannot describe. In those three months, I have tried to distance myself from you, because…that night in my home, we were coming close to something that I couldn't deal with…" He stopped, as if he was saying too much.

"What is it?" I whispered, trying to edge him further.

He shook his head. "It's…nothing."

"You're lying." I said softly.

"Doesn't matter—nothing matters…in the end."

"…You lost me."

I felt his smirk against my face, before his lips touched my cheek. "I was hoping that I would."

"You're riddles…are even worse." I shook my head. My heart was almost in my throat now with how close he was. He was pinning me against the wall, his lips falling to my neck. His cold tongue came out and flicked the skin.

"Worse than whom?" He murmured.

"Nothing."

"And now, you are lying."

"Mmm." I agreed.

He chucked before sighing once more. His face grew oddly serious as he got closer to me, pushing me flat up against the wall. "Sookie?"

"What…?" I panted.

His mouth was against my ear then, and very quietly he whispered, "Sookie, _yield_ to me."

Before I could say anything, before my heart could give out and just beg him to take me, there was a disturbance. There was yelling from the main hall, it was loud, and booming. Eric tore himself away from me quickly, grabbing my hand as we went toward his balcony.

He stepped forward, laying his hands out on the marble, and peered down. I followed his gaze, noticing right away the four people that were standing there. Vampires. Bill Compton, Sophie-Anne, Hadley, and one that I didn't rightfully know personally, but I knew his name was Russell.

"Your majesty," Sophie-Anne bowed sarcastically. "I have come here to talk to you, about something _rather _important."

Eric didn't speak, but stood at full height. He tensed. I could literally feel it coming off of him in waves. He hid it well. My eyes peered down to Hadley who looked down at the ground. What I could see of her face was a mask of horror and guilt mixed. She wouldn't look up.

"What are you talking about?" Pam stepped forward, coming out of nowhere. She put her hand on my back, keeping it there.

"Ah, so your child finally knows about your little secret, does she?" Sophie-Anne raised a delicate eyebrow.

Pam's hand that was on my back gripped my shirt tightly. I couldn't help but wince in a form of fright. I didn't understand what they were talking about, but I knew what Sophie-Anne just said caught both Eric and Pam by surprise.

"What is the meaning of your words, Sophie-Anne? I would like to get back to the party if that is possible." Eric's voice boomed throughout the building, everything had grown so quiet, which made his voice echo.

"I'm sorry, your highness, but I doubt getting back to your party will happen tonight." Sophie-Anne giggled, and as she did she turned around.

The doors to the front entrance flew open, and a giant herd of Vampires and other Supernaturals I have never seen flocked inside. All of their eyes went up to see King Eric who stood still, watching this transpire. But what caught my eyes were the vampires that were dragging what looked to be Eric's night guards.

One of them chucked Alcide in front of the crowd. All the pets jumped backward, keeping distance as Alcide slid across the floor unconscious. The next was Alcide's dear friend Tray, who had been very nice to me as well. He landed next to Alcide, also unconscious.

I gasped, trying to step forward, but Pam's other hand came out and grabbed me around the waist, holding me in my place. I wanted to struggle, wanted to help in any way that I could, but clearly now was not the time to intervene in such a manner, when this was happening.

My eyes jumped to Eric, trying desperately to get his attention, but that wasn't going to happen. He only had eyes for the vampires that came in his home, in his castle, with his night guards unconscious. I struggled, wanting to know exactly what was going on.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, it spoke to me. This was the start of war.

"You intend to try to fight, do you not?" Eric whispered, but it was heard. "All you who stand before me are committing treason, do you realize this? Over allegations of what Sophie-Anne has told you."

"Oh, we know exactly what is going on, King Eric." One vampire male called from the back. "We know you know where the Fae is!"

I gasped. Eric…the one that was destined to be with the fairy, knew where she was? She was…she was here? In this world? He was to fall in love with the fairy, but he didn't want that. She was supposed to hold his heart. And, if she was here and he knew that, knew where she was…then his words and his guilt seemed to be clearer to me now.

_I care for you…more than I probably should._

His words echoed in my mind. He cared for me, more than he should. Did he mean that he was already in love with the fairy? And by caring for me, he was somehow…feeling guilty for it? Because he was somehow with the Fairy? That couldn't be right though, he wanted nothing to do with the fairy, but did that really matter? Love was love, regardless of anything. I saw the premonition through the smoke, he would kill her, but he would cry, showing his utter sadness for what he had to do.

I was utterly lost. A hole in my chest began to form at my own thoughts. I was never meant to have him, and I knew that. I knew the fairy would come eventually, but I had always hoped that…that I would have more time with him, since I did love him.

"You've been hiding this from us all, and quite a few people are rather upset about this." Sophie-Anne grinned, looking at her small army. "I am here to talk to the other vampires you have on your side. I am offering them to stand by me, the one that has only told of the truth, that the fairy is here."

Eric gripped the marble tighter in his hands, his eyes glaring down at Sophie-Anne. She spoke the truth, and I could feel that through his emotions. I wanted to cry, because I felt used in a way. Though, it was my own doing. I did this to myself.

"Come now, vampires. If you wish to be a part of this, with a vampire leader that will _not_ lie to you, step forward now." Bill spoke.

I watched in horror as a massive group of Eric's vampires that had always been here, switched sides within a blink of an eye. They all looked upset, because Eric was keeping something from them that could potentially save all of their lives.

"Now, that we have quite a few numbers with us, we shall be taking the fairy." Sophie-Anne giggled once more. "You should just give her up, King Eric. You may be the oldest, but you are looking at an army of vampires and other supernaturals that are quite pissed off at you. You have no chance."

Eric looked out of the corner of his eye, toward Pam. With a very hushed whisper, he spoke, "Looks like we will be going to war, Pamela."

My heart thundered in my chest as his eyes met mine, but no emotion was displayed on his face. It was as if I no longer existed to him. His mind was set to protecting the fairy, regardless of what he had planned for her later on.

"Do me a favor, get yourself out of here and take Miss Stackhouse with you."

"You cannot be saying that you do not wish me to stay and fight!" Pam argued hotly.

"You need to survive. I need you to survive." Eric shook his head.

I stepped forward slightly, Pam's hand never leaving my body. I had a hard time looking him in the eyes now, but I made the effort. "Eric, do you wish for us to take the fairy to safety with us?"

He was quiet for a moment, his eyes tightened slightly. "The fairy will be safe. I've made sure of it."

I nodded, feeling the sting of tears. The last nail on the coffin had been hammered in. He…could never be with me, even if he did care for me. The fairy would hold his heart and he would literally hold hers in his hands.

"As soon as you two move, it will begin." Eric whispered to Pam and I, looking down at the vampires he still had on his side. There were quite a few, but not as many as the vampires on Sophie-Anne's. They looked up at their king and nodded in understanding. "Get ready, and whatever you do…don't stop running." Eric paused, eyeing the two swords that were hanging on the left wall as a decoration. "Go…_now_!"

As he said that, he jumped, grabbing the swords in his hands and falling to the ground quickly. That was the last image I saw of Eric, as Pam picked me up in her arms and rushed toward the back hallway. I didn't know where we were going, and I surely didn't know if we would survive the escape.

But worst of all, I wasn't afraid for my own life, but for Eric's.


	22. Bitter truths

**Author's Notes:** Okay! Hello!

I am back with another chapter! I know it has taken forever, but I am having slight writers block for my other stories. I wanted to wait until I had all my other updated chapters—for each of my stories—done before I brought this out, but that just wasn't possible when my muses are not cooperating with me.

If any of you read my other stories—and I know you do, please be patient for updates. I am trying. The words are just not coming out as best as I would like them to be. I am not giving up, and I have promised you that I won't. Now, all I need to know is that YOU won't give up on ME. ;)

**Slightly important:** This chapter might be slightly confusing as to when it is all happening. Well, to make that clear: It is all happening at once basically. Eric's POV and Sookie's POV are going on at the same time, and then Pam's POV is happening slightly after that. I just don't want you to be all confused about this. I hope that helped, at least slightly.

**On another note:** I wanted to thank you all for all the support you have been giving me the last few weeks after I told you about my depression and all of that. You have all been so kind, and offering your support when I need it. I cannot tell you how much that means to me. You are all wonderful women, with the biggest hearts I have ever seen. Thank you so much.

**Dedication:** This chapter is for ALL OF YOU! To each and every one of you for making my hobby so much better when I hear that you enjoy it so much. I have made many friends since I've started this story, and I hope to continue adding onto that list. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So, let's move onto the chapter, shall we?

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Eric's POV: <strong>

"You really have no idea who you are even messing with, Sophie-Anne." I spoke softly, because I did not need a loud voice to give off the impression that I was angry at what she was trying to do.

"Oh, I don't, do I?" She sneered. "Look around you, Eric. You are completely surrounded by my army."

"I do not need an army to kill these amateurs, but you need an army to kill me? Too afraid to face me yourself, little girl?" I smirked, swinging the blades at my sides. Sophie-Anne growled loudly. "I see. Well, at least you are smart enough to know that I would kill you quicker than you could even blink."

No one had taken a step forward since I landed. Not quite surprisingly, they seemed to back away once I stood to my full height. I needed to buy time, keep her talking, so Pam and Sookie could get away safely.

Pamela was going to be very angry at me later, but what was done is done. I had not told anyone that Sookie was the fairy, because I didn't think it was necessary for anyone but myself to know the details on the whole thing. I was going to tell her soon, but Sophie-Anne and her whipped minions had spoken a little too soon for my taste. She could have ruined everything, every little thing that I had set up for the whole process, but she didn't as of yet. Sookie still doesn't understand that the fairy is her, and that is the way I want it to be.

A sudden pang to my heart made me narrow my eyes. Guilt. I should not feel guilty for deceiving Sookie and yet, it was there. She had burrowed her way deep inside of me, making me feel things that should not be there. I have to do it. I have to look past these silly, miniscule, and pestering emotions, because in the end, none of it truly mattered.

So I cared for the girl—a little more than I ever intended to. It does not change anything.

"Come now, Sophie-Anne, are we just going to stand here all night, or can the heads begin to roll? My blades are looking quite clean," I sighed. "Not exactly how I like them."

"You have been lying, and clearly you don't intend to kill the fairy. So, I must do it. I will not wait around for the Black Hole to swallow me up. You are incompetent, _King_ Eric."

"Your words have no effect on me, Sophie Anne." Laughing, I scrapped the swords together. "For you see, I know what needs to be done, and it has nothing to do with you. You cannot kill her because if you do, it will not change anything. The Black Hole will still kill you sooner or later. If you kill her, you would have just sealed your fate. You need to do your research better instead of just running in with no plan of execution."

"You lie!" She hissed.

The crowd began to stir now. Two men dared to step forward and I shook my head at their stupidity. With two quick and slick moves, their heads rolled to the ground. Blood sprayed the group behind them before they were nothing but piles of goo on my shoes. I smirked.

"Ah, the heads began to roll." I chuckled.

Carefully, I walked up to another vampire male. Grabbing his shirt and looking into his frightful eyes, I wiped the blood of his comrades on his nice, thick, and crisp white shirt with a deadly smile on my face. He didn't speak, but whimpered. I knew none more would attack me now. They were all too fearful at how quickly I killed the others.

The best part about being the eldest of the Vampires—speed and accuracy; gets them every time.

"Where was I?" I pondered happily, cracking my neck as I turned around and faced Sophie-Anne. "Ah, right. What I was saying was that I am the _only one_ that can kill the fairy."

"But will you? Will you kill her?" Sophie-Anne demanded, stepping forward.

Wrong move on her part, but I would wait just a little bit more.

"Of course," I whispered.

Another pang to my chest; this time more crippling than the last. All I could do was ignore it.

Her eyes grew wide at my change of demeanor, at the slight hesitant part in my voice that should not have been there.

"You love her, don't you?" She asked, taking another step forward. "If you're in love with her, how can you carry out such a deed? You will kill the fairy, even though you love her? That is evil, King Eric, even more evil than what other supernaturals claim us to be. The Ultimate Evil, and something that even you could never come back from." She grinned. "I like it."

I met her gaze with my own. I couldn't speak right away, somewhere in the midst of her declaration I lost the ability to do so. I couldn't be in love. Love just doesn't exist in my world. But, her words set something in motion. A flicker of anger, but not toward her, but to myself, made its presence known. I could not love the creature that was the reason we are in this world, and yet, something in my mind told me that I was lying to myself, hiding behind a wall that I had created long ago. It was a wall that Sookie Stackhouse somehow broke through.

"He is lying, Sophie-Anne. How do we know that he needs to be the one to kill her? You are being too generous to the King you want to kill just moments ago." Russell spoke up, taking a step back.

"Shut up, Russell." She hissed. "Tell me, Eric, will you be able to kill the fairy?"

My eyes fell down to her as she took one last step, placing her filthy hands on my chest as a lover would do. It sickened me.

Another emotion came through to me then. One that only could come from Sookie—Pain. I growled in the back of my throat.

_If Pamela could not take care of her, I would end my child, _I thought in haste.

All too soon, the pain had faded, replaced with a rather calm emotion. She was fine. My sudden outburst toward Pam made me feel even more anger toward myself since I felt actual fear for Sookie's life, but not because she was the fairy, but because she was _her_. The girl that could make me laugh and smile for no reason other than to do the actions with incredible mirth.

With ease, I ripped Sophie-Anne's hands away from my body, and smirked down at her. I pushed every emotion I owned away from myself at that moment, because none of it mattered. I couldn't concentrate too closely on them, for fear of what I might find if I looked deeper. I had to rid myself of the pesky feelings to do what I always had to do, and it starts with the woman that defied me moments ago, and wants to be back on my good graces. Like that would ever happen.

"Yes, Sophie-Anne, I will kill the fairy."

"Wonderful!" She practically sang.

I shrugged. "It's just too bad that you won't be here to witness it."

"Wha—"

With another slick motion, I stabbed through her chest and ripped upward. The blade cut through her skull, the sword breaking into two pieces. All that was heard was the sound of the metal clanking to the ground right before her top half split and then burst.

I knew what would happen then, and I watched as Russell Edgington and Bill Compton rushed past the others toward the doors. They made it out, and began to run away like scared little puppy dogs with their tails between their legs. I would let them go for now, but soon they would face my wrath as well.

I stood there for a moment, collecting myself before I turned to the others that were standing around me.

"To those who stood by my side will be rewarded," I called out, my voice booming in the silence of the room. "Those who did not will be punished. And maybe, if you come up with a good enough reason as to why I should keep you alive, I may not kill you."

And with that, I turned my back from my people and walked away—with determination as my only living emotion left.

* * *

><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

Running—that is the only thing my mind could really register. Picking up my feet, and making them move as fast as possible, while still gripping onto Pam's hand that was holding mine in a tightly gripping way. She couldn't carry me any longer, since we were cut off, and had to go down in the basement to one of the back ways out of the castle itself. The hall was too narrow for her to haul me.

My hands dripped in sweat, and I was half afraid that my hand would simply slip from hers, but with how she was holding on, I doubted that would have been a big problem. I panted raggedly, never being able to pull in enough oxygen for my lungs. This was what it must have felt like to run a marathon, except that it wasn't that, this was more of a dire situation. We were running for our lives, and we both knew it, and that alone was what was keeping me going.

I couldn't see. The dimly lit torches barely gave enough of a light source to see two inches in front of my face. All I could do was be guided by Pam, who was swearing up a storm. I could hear her heels clicking off the hard concrete below us, hear it echoing through the narrow corridors, and meeting my own furious clicking of my very own heel. One had broken off though, so I was limping the whole while as I ran, but it didn't stop me from moving forward.

I knew we were getting close to an exit of some sorts because the wind began to howl from all around us. It was cold—so bitterly cold that it nipped against my skin, wanting to freeze me over from the inside out. Mixed in with the rushing wind that was swooshing through the hall we were in, was snow; small flakes that somehow made their way in, caking me in dripping icy drops that melted as soon as they touched my skin. I could feel it collect on my bare arms, on any part of my body that was not covered by the silk of my thin dress, and mix with my own perspiration that was just as cold.

And this was only the beginning.

If I could feel this cold, this tired, and this worn out already, I could only guess how I could feel once we breached the exit of the underground tunnel. I didn't want to think about it, because somehow just the idea of the open air left me even more cold inside, but it was definitely better than the alternative thoughts—ones where I worried for Eric's life more than my own.

He was still back there, where we left him; going to war because of the fairy of the premonition. He was to fight for honor, for what his stature stood for. He was never one to be kind to those that turned on him, and there were quite a few of his followers that did just that tonight.

Could he even survive a massive outbreak like the one that was starting? Could he really be strong enough, cleaver enough to really win against all those who stood before him defiantly? Yes, I knew he had some helpers in this battle, but in my mind, there were not nearly enough. The opposing group had more numbers than Eric did. How could he rightfully get away from this?

Something slick was under my feet now, and I began to slide slightly to the side. I looked down, trying to see what was so slippery between my feet, but I couldn't_ see_. It was too dark. Pam gave no indication that she noticed this, but kept moving forward, and tugging me behind her.

Where she was holding began to throb, and I was quite aware that if she held on any tighter, all the bones in my hand would be broken. As it was, I was pretty sure I had at least a fracture somewhere in my hand, with the way it tweaked, sending my nerve endings up my arm in a painful dance. Shutting my eyes tightly, I focused on that pain because I simply couldn't think about Eric, and how he was fairing in this battle for the fairy.

It was too painful, and would open a thousand wounds that could never be healed if something happened to him.

The wind blew harder at us, throwing our hair in a wild dance behind our backs. I couldn't see much, but it was slightly brighter now, showing us the way to the exit. It was still so dark outside. The night was only beginning, though it felt like hours since I was standing in the main entrance of the castle, hours since Eric was pressed up against my body so tightly.

I shivered, shaking my head away from hurtful thoughts that I was only bringing on myself. It was like I enjoyed torturing myself, which totally wasn't true in the slightest. Self-inflicting wounds were always the hardest to let go of, and yet, could I really do such a thing? I couldn't look passed being frightful and afraid for Eric's life, and I didn't want to. It made me feel oddly alive, that all of this I was going through was real, and not some sickening nightmare I was trapped in.

We stopped dead, so suddenly that I lost my balance, and slipped on what I was sliding on earlier. I fell to the ground, hissing out in pain as a cut began to form on the palm of my hand that wasn't trapped in Pam's. I was bent in an awkward position, since I twirled as I fell. My hand that was connected to Pam's was bent backward in a disturbing way, and I was sure my shoulder had been dislocated from the socket. Tears sprung to my eyes as I fell toward the slippery substance more, laying my head on the chilly substance—ice.

"You are quite foolish to come this way." A deep baritone voice echoed around the walls we were surrounded by.

I had enough time to look up through blurred vision to see that we were trapped. The only way out was the way we came, and I knew Pam wasn't going to go that way. She finally dropped my arm, and I winced as I rolled over, cradling the pounding and limp appendage with my bleeding hand.

"And you believe you can stop me from leaving here?" Pam returned. Her voice was odd—off. It was the voice of a woman that held no fear and no other emotion as she stood before this very big and intimidating vampire. He was simply huge. "That is unbecoming of you, Ralph, as you know I fear nothing. Especially not a heavy weight bastard such as you, because muscles do not make the vampire."

"I have never seen you fight," He replied with a dark chuckle.

"Doesn't matter," She answered, stepping forward. "_Age _makes the vampire, and I am much older than you are. Step aside and I may allow you to live."

"No can do. You must come back to the castle."

It was quiet for two beats of my erratic heart before Pam spoke again, with so much annoyance in her tone now, "Have it your way then."

She moved quickly, a blurred action that my eyes could not keep up with. She stood behind him, her hand coming out the front of his chest. Ralph looked down at me, throwing up blood that fell just short of my feet before he tumbled over and was no more. I stared in shock, not really seeing anything before Pam's hand was on my uninjured shoulder.

She heaved me up, pushing me against the wall and turning me around. I was frantic, and tried to move since she had become deadly before my very eyes. I was afraid of her, always had been.

"This is definitely going to hurt." She whispered. "Please, try not to scream too loudly."

Before I could protest to whatever it was that she was doing, she grabbed my injured shoulder, and with a mighty thrust she popped it back into place. I screamed—of course I did. It was utterly painful, one the worst pains I had ever felt in my life, but I screamed as quietly as I could. Tears simply fell from my eyes, threatening to freeze where they fell from the cold air that was rushing in at us.

"It's okay…" She soothed. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but it was necessary."

I nodded numbly, not sure if I trusted my own voice, or if I even had a voice left after that. My throat felt raw and sore. Pam patted my back, pulling me closer to her body after she turned me around to face her. She brought her hand down on her own shirt, ripping it slightly, and brought the material up to my cut palm.

Wrapping around it, bandaging my hand, she sighed. "I wish that didn't happen. Getting your hand cut, I mean. Now they could follow us easier."

I gulped, nodding again, feeling slightly guilty, but I knew she didn't say it to be rude. That only made me feel worse. Pam met my gaze before she quickly picked me up in her arms once more and walked outside.

Nothing could have prepared me for how chilling the air was. My skin felt like it was being prickled with a thousand needles, all over my body. I shivered, huddling closer to Pam as if she could give off warmth. She couldn't—she was more or less dead. But, she was slightly warmer than the cold air, which helped slightly. It might not have meant much, but it was at least something.

We came out, surrounded by a million trees that were coated in a blanket of white. It was silent, so deadly quiet that it would set anyone on edge. No birds, no sign of life living here. The only sound was the wind as it blew around us, sending more flakes blowing in our direction. This time, they were much larger. I looked down, noticing that the snow was nearly up to Pam's knees, but it didn't seem to bother her.

She stood still for a moment and I watched as she closed her eyes, shifting her head every few seconds. She then nodded. "We're not being followed right now, but I don't trust getting a car yet. They will follow us no matter what. We just have to confuse them."

Pam took off into another run, faster than before. I gripped my arms around her neck tighter, pushing my face into her chest to hide my face from the assault of snow.

I don't know how long we traveled, but soon my body wasn't able to take the bitter frozen cold. I began to shake fiercely, unable to control my muscles and nerves any longer. The pain in my shoulder and my hand was long forgotten, replaced with only the feeling of freezing to death. It wasn't fun. I couldn't go without feeling something horrible happening to my body.

Finally everything gave out on me, as my body shut down in a way of trying to save itself. My eyes dropped closed, I was unable to keep them open anymore, and then everything just disappeared.

* * *

><p><strong>Pam's POV:<strong>

That fucking liar! He was the asshole of the year. How could he not tell me that the girl in my arms was in fact the fairy of the premonition? The fucking _fairy_! And he didn't think that was important for me to know? Thank God I'm smart, and pay attention. Sophie-Anne gave herself away when she looked at Sookie. It was quick, no one else noticed, but I sure did. I always thought there was something about Sookie, always had that thought on the back of my mind, and BAM—it turns out she is the Fae. I knew it!

If Eric didn't die tonight, I was surely going to stake him myself. The stupid bastard!

Walking through the fucking _snow_, I had time to process different things including ways to kill Eric—multiple times, thinking I should go back and help, and also why Eric wouldn't have told me himself that Sookie was the fairy.

I believed he wanted to make sure she really was the fairy in the beginning. Yes, I was quite sure that was it, but he must have known for a while now that she was very important. Why else would he have kept her otherwise?

The point of the matter is, is that he didn't tell me—his only child.

Can he not trust me?

Well, I _did_ attack her….

That is totally not the point though!

He must have started to really care for her. What other problem would he have?

I'm not blind. I've seen the way he acted for the last three months, always trying to stay away from Sookie but never fully being able to. He was trying to distance himself from her, and I wondered why he would do that, but now I know, or I think I do. He was afraid of the destiny, he simply had to be. He cares for this girl, that is quite obvious, and he doesn't just care because he needs to _use_ her for our benefit. No, as much as Eric thinks otherwise, he is rather transparent to me. I can see right through him, and I know there is more to this story than he is letting on.

The Premonition—he has to kill the fairy. And, I'm pretty sure he has to be the one to do it.

There was something more he wasn't telling me about it though; something more to the premonition that only he and Mae know; something that he is keeping to himself.

_Something I was going to strangle out of him… _

I didn't know everything. I didn't even know all the parts of the story, and what has to be done to save our world, and then get back to Earth. But oh—he is surely going to tell me when he survives this battle. I was done being lied to. I was done being the child that he uses when he sees fit, just like right now; hiking through the motherfucking snow to save the fairy, and the most hilarious part of it all was for the fact that _Sookie_ didn't know she was the _fairy_.

He was keeping her identity a secret from me, and from her. I could understand why he was keeping it from her though. If he wanted to get what he needed from her, it seemed best to keep her in the dark until the last moment. Still, I doubted he was going to keep it from her for much longer. It seemed quite impossible, even from my own perspective.

I hated the_ fairy_. Always hated the story and I always wanted her dead. But how could I hate the fairy, if she was actually Sookie—the girl that knows nothing of who she really is? Simple answer to a rather simple question: I don't think I could hate Sookie. She was always too kind, trusting, and honorable. All the stories I have heard of the Fae, explained them to be evil, the reason why we were here, being picked off by the Black Hole whenever it chose to befall upon us. It was rather hard to associate Sookie with them, making it physically impossible for me to feel even a shred of anger toward this girl in my arms.

And if _I_ felt this way…did that mean _Eric_ felt this way as well? Will he be unable to finish the quest he was looking forward to for so many years now? No, he had his heart set toward this. He had waited so long, so many years to finally end everything and return us to the place we originated from. He wanted this more than anyone else in the world, and simply _caring_ for Sookie—even if she is the sweetest girl I've ever met—wouldn't change the fact, and wouldn't change Eric's mind.

I don't care for humans. I never did until Sookie came to be. There was something about her that I liked, and it wasn't technically because her blood practically sang a sweet ass tune in my ears. She had something about her, something that just made everyone want to know her, and it happened with me. She was my favorite breather.

Looking down at said girl, I frowned. She was frozen. Her body was so cold that I even noticed. Her temperature was dropping far too quickly, and I knew it was a bad sign. Her shoulder must be killing her and even her hand as well. But it wasn't like I could give her my blood to help her with pain. Eric would kill me.

_Territorial bastard… _

Looking around, I noticed a car by a barn, across the snowy field before me. We had been traveling for God knows how long, since I didn't have the means to grab my fucking cellphone before we left. I knew that Sookie needed warmth, and the house just beyond the barn was looking mighty fine at the moment.

With careful ease, I took off into a sprint, heading straight for the house, and making it up to the porch in less than fifteen seconds from where I stood by the road before. Placing Sookie down gently on the wood, I turned my attention back to the door and knocked one heavy fall of my hand against the door.

Instantly, a light came on in the downstairs room. I peered off of the side, taking in someone that peeked out of the curtain. I rolled my eyes as that person walked to the door, and pulled the curtain back on that as well.

"G-Go away! I don't want any trouble!" The man was fearful, and quite old. I could understand. I was a vampire, with a girl passed out on his porch. It didn't look very comforting.

"I am here to take shelter for a few minutes. I need clothes for this girl, and I need to have your car. I am the King's child, and I demand your help on his behalf."

"K-King Eric?"

I rolled my eyes again. "Yes, now could you hurry the hell up? I would hear a bunch of shit if this girl died on my watch."

The door flung open to reveal the man in his pajamas, his nightcap in his shaking hands. He was slightly bent and looked like he would die any day now. It was times like these that I was actually thankful I would never grow old and die. I would hate that.

Picking up Sookie, I waited for his invitation and when I got it, I sped past him. "Start up a fire." I told him, watching him rush around the room.

"George? Is everything alright down there?" An elderly woman appeared on the stairs, looking down at me as I laid Sookie out on the carpet. She gasped. "I'll go get some clothes for that poor girl. Just give me a few minutes."

I nodded and began to pull away Sookie's dress that was wet and clinging to her body. But she needed more than just getting rid of her clothing. "Can I use your shower?" I asked, deciding to be rational since they did allow me to come into their home.

He nodded, throwing another log in the fireplace. "It's just up the stairs, ma'am; second door to your left."

Grabbing Sookie once again, I rushed up the stairs, blowing past the old woman. She followed me, placing the clothes on the counter. With a bow, she exited the bathroom. Finishing peeling off Sookie's clothes, I shook her shoulder—the good one—and tried to wake her. Her head fell back and forth, and I heard her groan.

"Sookie, you must wake up. I need you to get in the shower, alright?"

"S-Show—" Her lips trembled too hard for her to finish.

I nodded. "Yes, now hurry."

"C-Can't….s-s-stand." She whispered; her knees quaking as I tried to put her upright.

I sighed. As much as I would hate having to wear common clothing, that is exactly what I was going to have to do. "Hey," I called, watching her peer her head in the doorway once more. "I need an extra set of clothing."

Without wasting any more time, I turned on the shower. Grabbing Sookie around her waist, I hauled her into the shower with me. The water felt too hot on my skin, but it really wasn't. It was hardly even warm, but compared to Sookie's frozen body and mine, it _was_ hot.

She leaned heavily against me, and I held her upright as I let the water fall on her. Her hair had small pieces of ice frozen in the strands, caking to her face in a matted way. I ran my fingers through it, trying to get the water to unthaw her.

I sighed again. Eric owed me big, like enormously huge for doing this for him, without any explanation.

"Do you t-think Eric is okay?" Sookie's voice was still weak, but better.

"I don't know. I don't have my phone with me." I replied, feeling her tense in my grasp. "You shouldn't worry about him. He's powerful and can handle himself. You should worry about you and possibly having hypothermia." I pause, feeling her arm. "I think you're okay though. Your body temperature is rising nicely."

"You can t-tell?"

"Yep."

"T-Thank you, for s-saving my life," She whispered. "I probably w-would have died-d out there. I-It's-s so cold outside."

I had to change the subject, because I really didn't know what to say. "Some of the roads have been plowed, so from here, we will take a car."

"Mmm." She murmured, pulling slightly away from me.

I raised a brow, watching as she braced her hands against the tile in front of her, standing on her own. She was stronger than I originally gave her credit for. I was sure she would be alright. Grabbing the towel off the rack, I turned off the shower, and wrapped the material around her naked body.

She didn't seem to care that she was naked and I was seeing her body, or she was still too dazed to understand what was really happening. Either way, though it was really bad timing, I had to appreciate her beauty. She had quite the body.

I smirked, lifting her and putting her on the carpet outside the shower. When I was sure she was stable, I ripped off my own dress, and grabbed the next towel. Hopping out, I forced her to sit down on the toilet as I began to dress her. Sookie's blue eyes watched my every move, and she rarely blinked throughout the process which I found weird.

"Something wrong, Sookie?" I couldn't help but ask.

"You're…a lot kinder than I originally thought you were."

"No," I laughed, shaking my head. "I am rarely kind. Think of this as special treatment that you would never get from me other than right now."

"Why?"

I had the urge to bite my lip. I sighed, because I simply couldn't tell her why exactly I was giving her such special treatment. Eric didn't tell her for some reason, and therefore, neither could I. "Are you going to turn this into twenty questions? I don't _know_ why I'm helping you so much. I guess it's because I like you." It wasn't a lie per se, but not the total truth either. "Just lift your arms so I can put this shirt on you."

She did as she was told. After I was finished with her, I started on myself, going at a much quicker pace. Then we were bounding down the stairs, with me still supporting her mostly. She might be stronger now, but she was still weak and tired.

"Oh, she is finally moving. Do you need anything else?" The woman asked, guiding Sookie to the fireplace.

"If you could, pack some human food for her. She does need to eat." The old woman nodded, heading to her kitchen. The man stared at me after that. His eyes always seemed to be on the back of my head. "Do you need something? Or do you just like to stare?"

His eyes dashed to his feet. "Sorry. But why are you both so far away from the castle if you are the King's child? I've seen you before, and I know who you are, but it doesn't explain why you would be this far out, in this terrible storm."

"It's a story that I cannot share with you." I rolled my eyes. "Look, you are very kind for allowing us to use your things, and I will come back to pay you myself for your hospitality, but don't try to get into my business. It's not something that I am quite comfortable sharing with a mere human."

"But you are traveling with a human." He whispered, his eyes darting to Sookie.

"Because she is important." I shrugged. "That is all I can share with you."

Turning my attention to Sookie, I noticed that she was out like a light once more. I sighed. I would have to carry her to the car. But first, I was going to give her a little while by the heat of the fire. She needed to relax her muscles, and with her sleeping next to warmth, it would help sooth her.

I sat down on the couch, thanking the woman for the food she had prepared to go, and after an hour, I thought it was time to leave. I didn't know how long it would take for the opposing vampires to come find us, but I would rather not be in this house when they decided to track us. We were far away from the castle, which was good information the man had offered me. I doubted even the vampires could follow our scent with the wind blowing like it was outside. Sooner or later, they would fall on a dead end, but I still wouldn't take the chance of stopping for good any time soon. Not until I was even further away from here. I knew a place, one that wasn't the best or even ideal, but not many people even knew it existed. I would take Sookie there. Then I would decide what was next. Eric couldn't get ahold of me, so I would have to go back at one point or another. Right now, I couldn't think that far ahead. Now wasn't the time. I just needed to put more space between us and the castle.

"I think you dropped this, ma'am." The woman's timid voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I gazed up at her.

In her hands were a few sheets of what looked like normal parchment. My brows furrowed as I reached out and delicately took it from her grasp. Holding the papers in my hand, I glanced at Sookie. This was hers. My mind grew slightly confused when I opened the sheets to find nothing written on any of them. Why would Sookie carry around pieces of paper with her, when there were no words adorning the sheets?

Quite odd and what was even questionable was for the fact that the pages weren't wet or even soggy from the snow, when Sookie herself was drenched when we got here.

Ruffling them in my hands, I was half tempted to keep them, since I was sure that there was something about them that had to do with her being the Fairy, but…damn it, I liked the girl. Carefully, I slipped off of the couch and knelt down beside her. Without waking her, I folded the pages before slipping them into the pockets of the jeans she was now wearing.

"I think it's time to take our leave." I murmured, not taking my eyes off the sleeping girl. "Thanks for your kind deeds here tonight, and if you would be kind enough as to not tell anyone that I was here that would be even better."

"We don't get any visitors out here anyway, ma'am." The man spoke. "After our daughter died, no one ever came back. So, you don't have to worry about that. Keep the clothes. I believe our daughter would be grateful that they went to good use."

I nodded, holding back the snarky comment about the clothes, since they weren't my style. As much as I wanted to, I had to be grateful as well to this dead daughter of theirs.

I picked Sookie back up, cradling her tightly in my arms as the woman stepped forward, holding a fleece jacket in her hands. I shifted Sookie, allowing the woman to put that on her as well. She needed all the warmth that she could possibly get.

"Our car is by the barn. We have a few tanks of gas in the trunk. That should get you to wherever you're going." The man spoke, opening the door for us.

I didn't look back as I stepped out in the freezing air once more, and took their car for my own benefit. It had been quite some time since I've actually drove anything, so it took a few minutes to figure out all the stupid leavers it had. Finally, we were off and heading down the road to the place we needed to go, the only place I felt that it could be a safe haven.

I sped, because the sun would be up in just a few short hours, and I would burn to a crisp if I didn't make it there. Some of the roads were unattainable to get through, and finally we shifted to a dark path that we simply couldn't get passed any longer, but we were close to where we needed to be.

"Sookie," I shook her arm, hearing her whimper as she turned her head in my direction. "We need to get out of the car now. Hurry, the sun will be rising in just thirty minutes."

She nodded slowly, still very sleepy. I sighed, grabbing her from her side and hauling her up again. I swear I've carried her so much tonight. I sort of felt like a pack mule.

Shuffling my hand down, I reached around for the bag of food the old woman had packed for Sookie. After locating the bag, I shifted it on my wrist, and then took off into the night.

These woods were dense, and no one dared to even come this way because of the height of the ledge that seems to come out of nowhere. It was so much colder here, and mostly was throughout the whole year. I reached the ledge quickly, looking down I tried to find the best way to shimmy down the rocky and jagged drop. Once I located the best bet, I made sure I had a good grasp on Sookie before I jumped, sliding down the side quickly. I whipped my hand around, grabbing the rocks to slow down my process. Of course, I knew I was going to have one fucked up hand by the time we reached the bottom, but at least I could heal.

Once I was close enough to the bottom, I kicked off the ledge and fell the rest of the way. My bleeding hand coming to grab Sookie's back, not to jostle her too much. She had woken through this process, and with a death grip around my neck, she screamed the whole way down.

I landed in a crouch position before placing Sookie on her own feet. "You have to walk now. I don't think our body weight together would withhold it."

"Withhold what?" She asked, gripping her new coat around her body tighter.

"That." I pointed straight ahead.

In front of us was a frozen lake—a vast lake that you couldn't see the other side of. It was so large that most might mistake it for the sea, but I knew better. Grabbing Sookie's hand, I stepped over on the ice that was frozen on top of the water. She took a shaky breath, and stepped forward.

It was solid where we stood, which was a good sign, but I couldn't promise the whole lake to be like that. No, the further we got out I was betting that the ice would be thinner.

"If the ice starts to crack, I want you to lie down on your stomach and don't move, alright?" I met her frightened gaze, unblinking. "I'll be right next to you, so don't worry."

She nodded, and we proceeded.

There wasn't too much of a danger, most of the ice was in fact thicker than I had anticipated the further we got out. It was a good sign, and Sookie began to relax with her movements. It was easier, but there were times where she thought she heard a crack in the ice and immediately fell to her stomach. Well, at least she listens.

"We're almost there. I can see it."

"S-See what?" Her stammering was back, indicating how cold she was becoming again.

"There is an island in the middle. We'll be safe there."

"Eric knows where this place is?" She asked, moving next to me.

"Yes, it's one of his many retreating spots." I smirked, grabbing her hand.

Just then, the ice did start to give away. Instead of letting Sookie fall to her stomach, since the ice was cracking right where she would have landed, I grabbed her and began to run as fast as I could. The ice cracked between my feet, and I found myself jumping back and forth over smaller pieces of ice that began to float. Finally though, without so much as a foot falling into the icy water, we landed on shore.

Sookie let out a long breath, and I watched the smoke bellow out in front of us. I was relieved as well. It would have been just my luck to go swimming, just when we had gotten warmer clothes on. I nudged her shoulder as I past, and she began to follow me onto the harder and frozen soil of the small island.

It was a good place to hide because of the small but dense forest that surrounded where we would be staying. A small shack of sorts was hidden between a rock formation; such the perfect place to hide where you would never be found. It was like a whole different little world, being out here in the middle of the lake, on the small island.

It was comforting, because I knew without a doubt I could actually get some sleep and get some much needed rest, just in case anyone did find us here. The only problem would be blood for me, and as much as I hated the idea of it, I could drink from the birds that inhabited this place.

"Come inside." I told her, looking over my shoulder.

She stood huddled next to the tree, eyeing the building with a slight uncomfortable look. "Do you think it will be any warmer in there than it is out here?"

For the first time after this long process, I laughed. "You are worried about freezing to death? Don't worry there is a fire pit inside. Not a big one, but it will do the job."

After I persuaded her slightly further, we entered the shabby little place. It was dark, no windows at all, which was good because of what I was. I wouldn't have to dig a hole and live there during the day. But that brought up more questions. How long would we be here? Sookie only had a small amount of food, and I couldn't fish for the life of me. If we stayed long, then I hope she knows that she will be fetching her own meals.

Settling down on the makeshift bed that was in the corner, I peered at Sookie out of the corner of my eye. She was trembling still, but not from the cold. I knew without a doubt that she was scared, but for more than one reason. I wanted to tell her what I knew, demand answers of her heritage that I already knew she wouldn't understand, but Eric would kill me if I did. If he didn't tell her, then there was a purpose for that, and not something I wanted to risk my head over by telling her what she was.

After the growing silence began, I settled further on the bed. I had given Sookie the only blanket that was left in this place, but I hardly felt the cold. The fire was doing its job.

With one eye still open, and watching Sookie, I couldn't help but think that she looked utterly lost.

Her face was set in an emotionless fashion, and she gazed at the fire, but never really seeing it. It was like she was looking past it, had her mind elsewhere, and I would bet anything that it had all the world to do with Eric.

He wasn't dead—our bond we shared told me as such. He had opened his emotions up to me, finally. I didn't think that he would do that. But nothing more came from it, except the feeling of determination from his side. Without the faintest idea of what that even meant, I could only ponder what he was doing at the moment. I sent a wave of calmness through the bond, trying to tell him silently that we were safe and all was well, but toward the end—because I was a bitch like that—I sent a heavy wave of disappointment and anger. Oh, he would understand.

I knew then that I didn't need a phone anymore, since the bond had been open again. He knew exactly where to come. It was the only place that he knew I would take her to, and he would be here by tomorrow night, I was sure of it.

Sookie finally laid down, much closer to the fire than I would have wanted her to be. Sighing, I stood and moved her back slightly, pinning her with a stern look to which she had no reply. Her head fell to the side, but before she moved completely, I saw a small smile on her lips.

"Pam?" She whispered through the darkness.

"Hmm?"

"You have become a very good friend to me tonight."

"Good." Was all I could really reply.

She needed friends, because no matter what, I could not see the premonition changing. Eric would have to kill her in the end, regardless of his fondness and caring he held for her, and I was not foolish enough to try to stop him. Though I liked her, I would still choose to sacrifice her to save my own hide when it came down to it too. The truth sometimes is a very bitter thing. It was inevitable, in the end. She had to die. It's what I've always known. She needed friends, because though I knew of her fate, I still wanted her to be happy in the last few days of her life, whenever that was.

And on top of it all—I came to realize that I hated my own humanity toward this girl. I hated the fact that she had gotten under my skin, and made me feel the need to have her happy, and to be a friend toward her, when no one had ever came close to ever making me feel that way before.

All I could do now was sleep, and wait for Eric to come and give me the details on what he planned to do. This wasn't my battle to be fought, no matter of my own feelings.

And the waiting was the hardest of it all, because you had hours upon hours to_ think_ of things that could not be changed, and fight against the humanity _one girl_ could put over Eric and I both.


	23. Dark Elves

**Author's Notes:** It has been far too long.

Sorry about the delay, but I had troubles with my laptop. It crashed, and I lost everything. I'm not going to ramble on about everything, but I do hope you forgive me, and I do hope I still have readers. :)

Now that is over and done with—Hello! I've missed you all! :P

I won't take up your time, so go on and read—if anyone is left that is. Lol!

**Also:** for those of you reading Beautifully Undead, you will see the two chapter updates soon. I am still in the process of writing that. The second chapter is going to be 'hella' long!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p>I was too hot. My flesh was melting away from the bone. Wave after wave of fire ran over my body, the tips of the flames licking at my skin, burning on contact. You could see it—the flesh beginning to bubble, blood mixing with puss as those boils burst, the skin flaking away into charred ash, then into nothing.<p>

I yelped, sitting bolt straight. My heart thundered in my chest as I brought my hand up to wipe against my forehead—perspiration. I was sweating a lot.

My eyes roamed down to the fire that was still burning away beside me, and I understood then why I could dream of such terrible pain. I was lying rather close to the flames as they flicked and began to die out. It wasn't a roaring fire as it once was, what I remembered it to be before I fell asleep, but with the piled up ash at the bottom of the basin, I was sure Pam had added more logs to the fire at some point.

I looked toward her, seeing that she was sleeping. It was disturbing in a way. Pam was still as she slept. She did not breathe a single breath, making her look truly like a corpse. It was kind of disorienting, and it made my mind want to believe that she was dead—which she was for all tense and purposes.

I shook my head, running my hands through my tangled hair, and trying to calm myself down. Overnight, I felt as though something changed within me, but I couldn't quite place what.

The room seemed to become stiff all at once, like the walls were closing in on me. I've never been claustrophobic, but I was in this small hut for far too long. I didn't know what time it was, I didn't have a clock, or any means to check the time. I needed fresh air.

I stood, and began walking to the door. Looking over my shoulder at the sleeping woman who had become a friend to me over the course of what we went through, before I opened the door slightly. I couldn't open it fully, there was still some light shining down from the sky, and if I did, she would be burnt to a crisp as she slept. Opening it just a crack, I slid through, and closed the door behind me.

Stepping outside, I took a real deep breath. I needed to calm something that seemed to be brewing inside of me. Anxiety seemed to go hand in hand with what I was feeling, and maybe that is all there was to it, I wasn't quite sure.

The ground crunched under my feet, as my boots I had on became caked with snow. It was up to my shins here, on this small island. It was much better than the mainland, I guess. I remember that the snow had been nearly up to Pam's knees.

The sky was rather clear, but there was fog around the area I was standing. Not normal fog that I might see on Earth in the early morning, but a different kind of haze, and one that had to do with this world all together. It was eerie as it slowly blew through the trees because of the slight wind, reminding me of a scary movie I had once seen with Jason so long ago. It definitely set me more on edge than I already was.

My feet carried me toward the edge of the island, exactly where we walked across. The ice had given away, I remembered, and there was evidence of that. Where I stood only had small pieces of ice floating on the lake. My eyes lifted toward the vast lake, and I squinted to see across it, but there was nothing to see. We were too far out, just like Pam had said last night. For a moment, I pondered if Eric could find us here, and then I remembered that Pam said he knew exactly where this place was. But that also lead to other questions.

Was Eric okay?

I was fairly certain he survived, before we settled down for the night, Pam had a relieved look on her face. I think she knew he was okay, and that gave me hope to believe the same. But it didn't answer everything.

What would I do now?

Eric had found his fairy, and I was nothing to him anymore. I couldn't be, and I knew that, and his guilt the last time I was with him was surely enough to persuade me into truly, and finally getting it—I was never meant to be with him. What we had, whatever it was, was some freak coincidence, and could no longer be followed through.

He loved the fairy.

My knees gave out on me so suddenly, that I gasped as I fell to the soil. My hands came down to break my fall, grabbing handfuls of chilly snow, but I could hardly feel it.

Eric had to love the fairy, for him to keep her safe. What else could there be? Yes, he needed to kill her, but if it was that simple, then he would have done it already. What was holding him back? Why did he need to keep her safe if he just wanted to kill her? The only answer I came up with was love. He had to already be in love with her.

And that meant Eric and I could never be together.

I remember the Seers words. That Eric will succeed in his task—killing the fairy—but at what cost? She said despair and love were mixed together. He would do it, but he would be nothing without his other half. The fairy was his other half, not me—_her_.

I fell backwards, spreading out on the snow, and looked up to the sky. It would be dark soon. I realized that I had slept much more than I thought I did. Dusk was going to be gaining upon us soon, and that meant Eric might be coming.

My eyebrows knitted downward, creating a frown as I pondered that.

"But wouldn't…" I whispered to myself, "Eric go make sure that the fairy was safe first?"

That was an odd thing to think about, and it brought several more things to my attention all at once.

I've never, not once, seen this fairy while I stayed at the castle. But wouldn't I have? He surely would have kept her close to him, and the safest place would be the castle. I could understand if he wanted to keep her hidden, but there would have been people that saw someone new entering the castle in the last three months—when I believe that is the timeframe in which she came here. I would have at least heard whisperings, or even heard thoughts about someone new coming in. But not once, had that ever happened. No one thought or said anything about anyone coming into the castle that they had never seen before.

Something stirred in my stomach, giving me an uncomfortable feeling, but I ignored it the best I could. Sitting up, I blinked several times as I thought that over.

I would have heard _something_, but there had been nothing.

I knew the fairy was here, it was a given now, so why hadn't I heard anything?

Before I could think any further, come up with any conclusions, I heard something.

"Sookie…"

It was a whisper of a voice, so low that my ears barely heard it. The sound vibrated through the air eerily. It reminded me of the past, of one person that sounded like that.

_Gran…? _

I felt warmth coming from my jean pocket, and I looked down to see that my pocket was glowing. I stared for a minute, confused as hell, before I had regained enough intelligence to use my hand. Reaching into my pocket, I felt something, heard a ruffle. I pulled it out, noticing right away what it was—Gran's letter she had given me.

The glowing slowly faded away, and I looked at the parchment in my trembling hands.

"How did it get in my pocket?"

I had left it in my room. I remember I left it in my drawer, off to the left corner, and stuffed in one of my socks! So how could it be here, when I left it_ there_? Could someone have seen this? Could Pam have? I began to feel weary, and slightly nervous, since this piece was special and seemingly important toward my own future, and where I came from as well. If someone saw this—no, I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to think that they would know I was lying, and where I truly came from. But did that matter anymore? Why was I so afraid? The fairy had been located already. Some silly little pieces of paper, that had magical words show up out of nowhere, wouldn't matter to anyone anymore.

But, I still wanted to keep it to myself. I felt like I needed to.

Taking a deep breath, and letting it out slowly, I unfolded the pages and laid them out on my lap. Just like magic, words began to form.

_Dearest Sookie, _

_Now is the time that I tell you some things that I should not have hidden from you in the first place. It's hard for me, child, to bring up old scars that hurt my old soul, but even now, I know that my death awaits me as soon as I finish writing what needs to be said. _

_I will not go into full detail as of yet, exactly why I wrote you this letter, because that time has not come, but I think it is time you heard of my own past—at least, part of it, like I had stated above. _

_I hope that you keep an open mind while reading what I have to tell you, and I hope that someday you will be able to forgive me for what I did. I hope that your Grandfather can forgive me for all that I have done, and kept from him before he died. _

My heart clenched. I leaned further, closer to the pages, but I still couldn't read what was written correctly. Sitting up fully, I grabbed them, and brought them closer to my face.

_Long ago, before you were even thought of—before your father or aunt even walked the Earth, I had met a man. No, I am not talking about your Grandfather, Sookie. I had been with him for quite a few years so far in my journey. _

_This man came to me in our backyard, the very same one I watched you and Jason grow up in, and play in. He watched me from the woods. I was cautious at first, you see, because I never saw that man around Bon Temps. He seemed too…good for our small little town. And as I looked, I saw that he was wounded on his right shoulder. I saw the blood, and I thought of nothing else, because I could not let him leave with a serious wound like that. I waved him over toward the house, and he came after I called for him three times. It was like he did not want to intrude, and yet, he couldn't just walk away. I didn't understand at the time what that truly meant, but it was the feeling I was getting from him. _

_Your Grandfather was out that day, he had a doctor's appointment, and he left just a few moments before I went outback to hang some clothes up to dry. I worried that he would be upset if I brought a stranger into the house like I did, and truthfully, he should have been. I didn't know who this man was, but with the way I was raised, I had to offer kindness and hospitality. _

_I bandaged his wounds, made sure it was all nice and clean so an infection could not start, but when I was done, I couldn't find it in me to ask him to leave. So, I started up a conversation, and he was very open with me. There are things about him that I will tell you later, but for now, you will just have to settle with a name—Fintan Brigant._

_He was sweet, child. So very sweet, and he seemed to enjoy my company so much. He left a few minutes before your Grandfather came home, but that wasn't the last time I saw him, Sookie. I saw Fintan quite a few more times over the years. _

_This is the part where it gets hard for me to explain. It's hard because I know I won't be able to make you understand fully, even if I had told you everything to begin with. _

_I fell in love again. _

My eyes bulged, my mouth went dry, my heart seemed to stop beating, and my head began to swirl. I blinked, and reread over that last line.

"I fell in love again?" I whispered to myself.

A strange churning in my stomach made me feel the need to stop reading, and never pick these pages up again. Because, there was just some things I didn't want to know, and this could only get worse, but…she wanted me to know. Gran, the woman who raised me since I was young, had a message, and I couldn't stop, no matter how much I would hate what I would read. With another deep breath, I peered at the pages with narrowed eyes.

_You stopped reading, didn't you? Please, continue, Sookie. This is important. _

If it was any other moment, I might have laughed at that.

_I fell in love again—with Fintan. I know that sounds so horrible, and yes, I would agree with that on some level, but I could not help my feelings. Feelings are feelings, and I am sure by now, you know exactly what I mean. He visited me on an almost daily basis by now, bringing me daisies that were so beautiful, in multiple colors, and smelled so wonderful. He just always seemed to think about me, when I needed to talk to him the most. _

_What I am about to say is the worst of it all, and I truly hope that you don't hate me, or my memory once you read it all, but please, I urge you to continue. _

_Things led to other things with Fintan, and I ended up pregnant with your father. _

My mouth dropped, and I flung the pages away from me. Standing to my full height, I scurried back as if the paper burnt my fingers, which it totally felt like. I stared down, my eyes fidgeting as I fought away tears that were threatening to overspill.

I knew what 'things' she was talking about, and I knew that—that my Gran had cheated on my Grandfather—or should I say, who I thought was my Grandfather. My Granddad was unable to have children, he had the mumps before. What my grandparents always said that it was a gift from God, that they were able to have two kids, when it should have been physically impossible. Little does anyone know that she was just rolling around under the sheets with a guy named Fintan!

I felt like I was going to be sick, not technically from my Gran's infidelity, but from my own thoughts, and how I looked at my Gran now. But was that really my own fault? She was the one that cheated, not me, and then passed her kids along as Granddad's!

As much as I didn't want to, and as much as I shouldn't listen to her pleas for me to continue, I walked back over and picked up the pages.

_It's hard for you to understand, and I expected that. I cannot tell you how much this has haunted me, but I wanted children, Sookie. I wanted them more than anything in the world. I loved your Grandfather. I loved him, and always will. I will always love him more than I loved Fintan. Your Grandfather was the first person I ever loved, and I shall die loving him. My sins are my own, and I do not want you to feel bad about them. _

_Fintan was special, and he offered what I desperately wanted the most. There were hardly any strings attached, Sookie. He would give me what I wanted, and he would watch over our family. But he never wanted to take your Grandfather's place, and I wouldn't have let him do that. I would have never left your Grandfather for him. _

_As much as you hate the idea of it, of what I had done, it gave me a million gifts. I got my children, my son and daughter, and they had children. You were born through this gift Fintan offered me, and I could only be grateful for it. _

_As much as I hurt inside for the lies I told, and the secrets I kept from your Grandfather, he was still happy when your father and aunt were born. I didn't look at it as something bad for the longest time. I didn't just get my wish, but your Grandfather got his as well. He wanted children as much as I did, and that is what we got. No matter how it happened, it did. _

_Fintan was always in the background, watching over us, and making sure we had everything we needed to keep our family safe and secure. He never interfered with how your Grandfather and I raised our children. Yes, _our_ children. I never thought of my kids as Fintan and I's. Your Grandfather is still your Grandfather, and he will always be. He will always be the one that helped me raise our children, and then saw Jason and you born. _

_There is so much more I want to tell you, but I simply cannot yet. I want you to feel special, because you are, and not because you were just a gift, Sookie. You are special for so many reasons, and those reasons are why I need to wait. As much as it pains me to do so, I need to let this course run through, the way fate has it set. _

_Your heart is the key to everything. You have the power to do great things in life, as long as you are willing to do them. Protect your heart, protect your mind, and protect yourself, because there is an end to everything. You do what your heart tells you to do, you do what your mind asks of you, and you follow your own feelings. _

_The course must be run through. Things need to happen before I can tell you the most important thing. I hate that, and I don't hate many things as you know. I don't want to see you ever be hurt. _

_I love you, Sookie. You are my Grandchild, but I look at you as another daughter. I raised you, and I raised you to be smart about everything that you do. I hope you listen to that. _

_And I hope one day you will be able to forgive me. _

_-Gran_

I stared blankly at the pages before me. Finished with what I had read, there were no more words to add on to what she had just said. There were no words to pacify me when I felt so…_wrong _inside. There was nothing really to say. I couldn't find words to describe the way I was feeling. My mind couldn't catch up with all that was offered to me in this part of her letter.

The sky had grown dark by now, the sunset fading just under the horizon. The air was much colder now because there was no sunlight to heat up the soil and surrounding area just a bit. I finally felt the chill, and realized I was practically frozen to the bone, but none of it seemed to matter.

All I could do was stand here and look out over the frozen lake and feel so alone in this world—in Symperia. But that was just the thing. I felt alone on Earth as well. I guess I just felt like I didn't fit in anywhere, making me utterly and irrevocably alone forever. I had nothing and no one to my name. All I had was a letter, which only offered me riddles for the longest time, then to Gran's biggest confession that I could have done without.

I hadn't realized that I was so fucked up. That my life was so fucked up.

I wished for a place that would make me feel like _me, _and somehow, through this journey into another world, I was pushed even further away from myself. I didn't know who I was anymore, and Gran's confession was like the last nail in the coffin.

I was nothing, I was nobody, and I was absolutely alone—with no one to talk to.

Just then, what sounded like grunting echoed over the frozen water. My body hummed alive as I became alert, trying to look far enough to see something. The sound only grew louder—move voices were added. Putting one foot forward, I took one step before I went flying backwards.

I screamed so loud as arms wrapped around my stomach, picking me up off the ground. I kicked, trying to break free, but whoever had me was so strong. All too soon by back hit something hard, and a hand came over my mouth, cutting off my cries of horror. I peered up, thinking that my stupidity had gotten us found, until my eyes connected with blue—much like my own.

My heart swelled before dropping. I shouldn't have been so excited to see that he was truly alright, but I was.

I watched as his other hand curved up, and one finger lay over his lips. He was telling me to keep quiet. I nodded, and his other hand slowly began to fall away.

"Are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask.

Eric looked down at me for a quick second, his eyes roaming my face quickly.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here, Sookie." He smirked slightly before looking over my shoulder. "Are you alright?" He whispered as he peered away from me.

"I'm fine. Pam took real good care of me." I tried to regain his focus, but he wouldn't budge. "What are you looking at?"

I turned around and followed his gaze. My eyes widened slightly as I saw a massive heard of what looked to be dark—almost black—humanoid figures. I use that term loosely. These things did not look entirely human from my perspective. They were much too tall to be humans, and they had very pointed, elongated ears. Their eyes were bright red, crimson and glowing.

A scratchy sort of sound entered my brain, like a high pitched screech. I would guess—with the way the sounds fluctuated—that they were forms of words.

"Do—Do you hear that?" I whispered, gripping what I knew now to be a tree—the thing Eric forced me against.

"Hear what?"

"The—" I stopped, realizing that my barriers were open wide. I had no need to keep them closed being here with only Pam, and I was too weak to keep them up anyway. What I was hearing were thoughts from these creatures. "Eric, what _are_ they?"

"I would guess you never saw them before," He whispered in my ear, leaning down slightly because they were getting closer on the ice, toward the island. "Those are Dark Elves."

"Elves? Like…_elves_?"

"Sookie, that sounded stupid." He chastened. "But yes, they are one breed we have here. There are several in the Elf bracket. These are underground creatures, living in the dark mostly, something like vampires, if I wanted to go that far. They only come out at night, meaning their eyes are sensitive to light."

"What are they doing here though?"

"Very good question." He nearly growled. "There are not many things that make me think twice about a head on fight, but this race is one of them. They are strong, they travel in packs, and they are vicious when they need to be."

"They are stronger than you?"

"Most definitely," He whispered. "They draw on the soil for energy. They work with that element and can use it to their advantage. Look at the lake, Sookie."

I did as he asked, peering closer to what they were walking on. It wasn't ice, and it wasn't water. Somehow they managed to bring forth a pathway in front of them, a rocky path from the bottom of the lake.

"They are old, but they are a peaceful race. They don't usually get into disputes." He told me. "We stay away from them, and let them do their own thing. For one, they are strong and as a unit it can be disastrous. For another, they hold grudges for a very long time. They didn't fight right before we were hurled into this world, but they were drawn in as well—for nothing. And that is something they justifiably could hold a heavy grudge against."

"You never answered my question. What are they doing here?"

"If I had to guess, it has everything to do with Russell and Bill." He murmured. "They must have told them about the fairy, and that I was hiding her away for the time being. As much as they are peaceful creatures, they still hate all other races for sending them here in the first place, and would certainly like to get back to the place they came from, just like all of us."

"So they came here to what…?"

"Probably to kill me, and find the fairy."

I gasped, and his hand came down on my mouth again. He pushed me closer to the tree, his body coming against my back.

"We have to do something!" I mumbled through his hand.

They were getting closer. I could make out almost every detail on them. Their hands looked like claws—sharp claws that could make one swipe and rip someone's head off. One of them opened their mouth to grunt at the other, and I saw a row of razor sharp teeth to match those claws.

These guys were probably the scariest thing I have ever laid eyes on, and I usually liked the scary things. But not these creatures; these creatures frightened me to the core, and they haven't done anything yet.

"Okay, I need you to stop squirming in my arms," Eric gripped me tighter, whispering low in my ear. "You will give us away. I also need you to keep quiet because I really, really have to think of what our next move is going to be. You want to live to see tomorrow, don't you?"

Well, I didn't want to be ripped to pieces by these Dark Elves. That was for sure.

I gulped. "I would very much like to live."

He was quiet for a moment, and his arms slowly fell away from me. I turned around as he leaned down slightly, looking into my eyes quickly. He was searching for something within me again, but that disappeared as soon as I noticed. A spark of an emotion I couldn't quite place became evident before he closed that up as well.

So quickly, that I barely had time to register what had happened—Eric's lips touched mine, stealing a kiss. It was brief, light, but it lit a fire in me that shouldn't be there with everything that I knew and accepted. He tilted my head up, our eyes meeting once more.

"I can't make you any promises of that," He whispered softly. "If this turns ugly…we are all pretty much dead."

No, that wasn't very promising.

He turned suddenly, toward the little hut behind us. I couldn't see his face, but I knew something was happening. As quick as a fox, Pam was at his side with a fierce scowl on her face.

"Nice of you to join us, Pam. I thought you were protecting Sookie like I had asked, but instead you were sleeping much longer than you needed to." Eric said sternly, in a pissed off tone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It wasn't like I wasn't carrying her like a pack mule most of the way here to begin with." She rolled her eyes. "Now, we can talk or bitch later at one another. What is wrong?"

Eric's eyes narrowed slightly but told her anyway, in only two words. "Dark Elves."

She became alert as quickly as I did before, when I heard their grunts. She peered around me, from our hiding point behind the trees and hissed.

"Well, fuck me," She murmured. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Not sure, but they already have our scent. They know exactly where we are." Eric said softly.

Wait—they know where we are? They know we are here, and we're not _running_? My heart leapt in my chest, sprinting in a race that should have been my feet moving instead of my heart pumping so hard. But my feet wouldn't move, and I wouldn't run without Eric and Pam. They also seemed too calm, since these elves were stronger than they were, and they were in a pack. It must be a vampire thing—to keep cool in every situation.

"So, we cannot run from them. They will only follow us." Eric continued through my thoughts. "We must try to reason with them, but that is harder said than done."

"Why?" Pam asked.

"Because they probably aren't here to reason with. They are here to kill and hopefully acquire a fairy."

"But—but she isn't here!" I yelled softly.

Everything seemed tense in the chilly silence that erupted between us. Eric and Pam gave me an odd look before turning to look at one another.

"Yes, Eric," Pam said in what I would guess to be a sarcastic voice, "The _fairy_ isn't_ here_."

"And I'm quite _aware_ of that." He said through clenched teeth.

"What's going on?" I whispered harshly. "I really don't think we have time for your weird bickering that could probably go on forever. They are getting to the edge of the island now!"

Eric hissed, pushing me—not so softly—away from the tree, to take my position. I turned to look at Pam, but her eyes were exactly where Eric's were—on the oncoming threat.

"We know you are here, Eric," A deep and rough baritone voice erupted around the trees.

The words were in rough English, I guess I could call it. The Elf said the words perfectly, but there was an accent to it I couldn't quite place from any other accent I had ever heard in my life—and there weren't many of them that I had. Being sheltered in my little backwaters town hardly ever had any outsiders from other countries. I always hated that, that I never saw the world. But right now, being in a different world all together, with another oncoming force that probably wanted us dead, it made me wish for being sheltered once more in my small, but seemingly and relatively _safe_ hometown.

I shuttered once, and crouched slightly as if that would save me, making me invisible to their eyes. I was a stupid human.

Eric tensed briefly to the sound of his name without his title, but I doubted he really cared about that. I had a feeling that these elves never thought of Eric as their king, like many other Supernaturals have. Though Eric tensed, he didn't move after that. He was still debating on what to do. He said it himself—we couldn't run. They would just follow our scent as they did here.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Eric sighed and moved. My hand went out, out of reaction to his movement. I wanted to stop him, plead with him that it wasn't worth it, with everything I knew. If we had to—we would run forever, and I would be fine with it. We would run, and he would get the fairy and do what he had to, regardless of what he was after. Did he want to kill her? Did he want to find another way? Right now, I didn't care. All I knew was that I wanted him safe and secure beside _me_.

And that alone proved to me—what I had been trying, but unable to do so. I couldn't let him go, because I was more in love with him than even I wanted to admit. My hand fell away after I thought about it, and let him move ever so further away from me.

"We have wooden arrows, Eric, to stop you from running. Show yourself, and get it over with."

"Theo," Eric's voice was smooth, with a chuckle attached. "What made you think I would hide from you? I am not afraid."

No, he may not be afraid per se, but he knew these Elves were stronger than he was. If it came down to it, he would lose and we would die. He was putting on a show, like he usually does. Standing his ground as the king, even if they don't follow him. And a king, should never show fear when the forces against them were much more powerful.

He stalked out behind the trees, with Pam close behind him. I went to follow, but Pam shook her head without looking. Her hand came behind her in a low move, signaling me to stay hidden. It would do no good, because they could also smell me, but if they wanted me to stay hidden, then I would do just that.

The sound of snow crunching in multiple spots was the only sound that I could tune into for a few moments. Crouching lower, I knelt behind a bush covered in snow, and peeked around the side. I stifled my fear deep within my stomach as I saw just how many Elves outnumbered Eric.

They looked like a giant dark blanket, huddled together, standing on the shoreline. The Leader—as I'm guessing—was slightly forward than the rest. Toward the back, five elves held bows with the arrows already notched in place. They held the strings of the bow back, the arrow pointing toward the ground, but they were ready for anything. I knew it.

"So, tell me, why did you come to my small retreat island on this winter night?" Eric's voice was cheery, but with an undertone that he was incredibly pissed off. Everyone should fear that voice, but these Elves didn't even flinch.

"We heard that you had found the fairy, and we were wondering why you haven't done what you promised to do thousands of years ago." The leader—Theo—spoke gently, but his voice was also just as icy as Eric's cool tone. "I was quite surprised, Eric. You said you could finish the job." He smirked. "Or does the vampires that came to me, tell the truth, that you did, in fact, fall in love with her?"

"I believe that is here nor there, Theo. I don't usually tell my business to anyone, but what makes you think that regardless of anything, that I wouldn't finish the job? I thought elves weren't supposed to just assume things, but go on hard facts. I thought your race was better than that."

Theo's eye narrowed slightly. "There is fact in what the vampires spoke of, Eric. The Fae's scent lingers on your clothing. It is faint, but it is the same scent that the vampires brought to me on a shirt. Such a sweet and delicate scent, but not full Fae, or what I remember of—this fairy's scent isn't as…_intoxicating_. Let me guess, they did what you tried to stop them from doing? What that whole asinine war was about? They must have mingled with humans to create hybrids." He sighed. "All that work for nothing it seems, since this fairy of the premonition is one of those hybrids."

Eric tensed slightly. "Ah, so you remember the Fae's scent clearly."

"We hold things and remember things a lot longer than your species does, but I am sure you remember what they smell like as well. Yes, I remember, Eric. Now tell me, why are you hiding her, instead of letting her come out?"

My brows furrowed as I listened. There was something about the last question that seemed to strike closer to home than I had thought. _No, the fairy isn't here_. That was my first thought, because that is what I took that question to mean.

Suddenly Eric waved a hand. "I believe this interrogation is done, Theo. I will do as I have stated. I will kill the fairy, and be done with it. We will go home, where we belong."

"Don't think I will just take your word for it, and leave you be. You must be crazy!" Theo nearly snarled, his sharp teeth snapping at Eric. "She has been here for quite some time, and you have yet to take action!"

"Do not _growl_ at me." Eric said deadly.

I saw it in slow motion. My eyes widened as a single archer got over excited and shot a wooden arrow toward Eric. My scream of terror sounded dull in my ears, but it was anything but that. The arrow struck his chest, and he toppled over.

I moved suddenly, and jumped to my feet as another arrow flew and hit Pam in the shoulder. I stumbled in front of them where they fell, Pam hissing, and Eric unmoving. Terror coursed through my veins, but also anger—anger that they would strike for no reason. It gave me a hidden power that welled up into my chest, and I felt hot again, exactly like I did when the rogue vampires attacked me. It started in my chest, and then it engulfed my entire body.

"You will not touch them!" I screamed in rage.

The leader looked taken back for a moment, before a twinkle in his eyes stopped me suddenly.

"Ah, you are quite the beauty," Theo whispered. "It's a shame that you are—"

He was cut off from whatever he was about to say by Eric. He came out of nowhere, tackling Theo to the ground.

Eric's fangs were down, and he looked mighty upset. With a hand on Theo's throat, he used his other hand to grab the arrow and rip it from his chest.

"You missed." Eric growled loudly.

"We won't a second time." Theo laughed.

No, I couldn't let that happen! Gran said I was special. I felt special with the heat radiating through me. I felt powerful—in my element. I _could_ make these elves go away.

My eyes fell to the Elf that already had another arrow ready, and the bow pointing at Eric who lay over Theo. I brought my hand up, acting on instinct, and light shot out.

The Elf fell to the ground, grabbing ahold of his eyes and screaming. They were sensitive to light, and I could make them retreat, even if it was only for a moment. All we needed was a moment.

Bringing my other hand up, I let the heat swell into that palm, and let the light flow through. It worked, the other elves backed away, hissing and growling as they shielded their eyes from the light source. It was bright, so very bright.

Behind me, Eric jumped to his feet and grabbed Pam. He leapt up behind me, grabbing me around my waist. He avoided contact with the light as best he could, and I couldn't let it down until we were off the ground. Eric kicked off from the soil hard, and then we were airborne.

We flew high above them for a moment, and that was when I let the light fade from existence. My eyes grew heavy as my body felt like it weighed a ton. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was much too weak for that.

My last words before I lost consciousness were a plea to Eric. I was frightened, but not of the creatures below me.

"Eric," I whispered through the chilly air as we flew. One tear fell from my left eye. "How do I keep doing that? W-What…_am I?_"

Before I could receive an answer, I fell into darkness.


	24. Motel Nowhere

**Author's Notes:** Hello again!

So since it has been far, far too long, I decided to give you all a gift. Yes, yes, a gift. You get two chapters right now! YAY! :P

I do hope you enjoy them.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

"I'm so glad that you decided to grab some hotel rooms, since you know, I slept on the floor in a makeshift hut, in the freezing cold, without you telling me exactly why I was there. I'm smart enough though to know that Sookie is the fairy. Glad I figured it out myself, right in the nick of time, because if I didn't—"

Pam bitched on and on as we flew through the sky. I had to drown her out after a while. The bitching—it was the worst thing and gave even me a headache. Seemingly quite impossible for a vampire, but no, if anyone had a child like mine, they would also have a headache almost constantly when they would get on a raging bitch mode.

But, she was also entitled to it. I should have given her fair warning of the problem I had, but again, it didn't feel entirely necessary. I still wasn't sure how Sophie-Anne and her pack of inferior vampires knew of what Sookie was, but I was guessing that it had to do with Sophie-Anne's child, who had also come through the portal. She didn't have any special qualities about her, so I flung her to another, and Sophie-Anne just happened to catch her.

Hadley. That is the vampire girl's name. Yes, she was currently locked away in the dungeon in the castle. I was unsure what to do with the little girl, since she must have some information, but again, how would she know? She must know Sookie, in some way. I guess I should have paid more attention to that.

I hadn't had time to question her. My duty was to collect the fairy, and take her to a safe place. The castle was not a safe harbor at the moment. I was sure that the Elves would go to my castle when they healed from their burnt out eyes, from Sookie's light.

I also had no idea what else Russell and Bill would try. My focus wasn't technically on them. My focus held only the girl now resting on a cheap motel bed, in the middle of nowhere, far away from the castle itself. When I mean nowhere, I mean that in the most literal sense. The town was called Nowhere, kudos of Pam when we first set territories on the land so many years ago. I had to give it to her on some occasions. She definitely had a weird sense of humor that I sometimes enjoyed.

I had to glamour the owner of this little motel in not knowing I was staying here. As it was, I wasn't sure who I could trust now, and that only meant that I could not let many know of anything until I got this all done and over with.

Another pang to my chest nearly set me into rage, but I fought it off as quickly as it came. The phrase: done and over with seemed to bother me quite a lot now. It wasn't something that my humanity wanted. I wouldn't dare say heart in this case. If I did, I don't know where I would be.

She had to die.

That hurt even more than the inferior pang to the chest.

I narrowed my eyes as I looked out the thick curtains in front of the window. The night sky was somewhat beautiful in the winter, but it reminded me of my past. The snowflakes, as they fell, reminded me of how little time humans had to live. The snow would fall, build, and then melt away—much like human life. The simplicity and yet complicated process a snowflake must go through from being created to disappearing, remained strong in my mind, because it reminded me of the human lives I took, and how I shortened them. The process of being born, living, and then death was the same as those snowflakes' journeys, in my mind. I just ended a lot of human's journeys a lot sooner than fate had planned.

I felt no remorse for any of them, but that did not mean I never thought of them. Could I possibly end Sookie's journey, her life, just as I did all the other humans? She wasn't entirely human, but she was important to me, and I could no longer deny it. If I saw another snow fall, could I look back on taking lives, ending them, and feel no remorse for when I take Sookie's life as well?

I doubted it.

I was too far engrossed with her. I cared too much already. Mae's premonition told me of my future—that I could now see—where love and despair would go hand in hand, laced with one another. I could see that, and though I hated to admit it—it hurt to think about.

I have become weak.

A vampire tries desperately to let go of the humanity they were left with from when they are human. Some say they can shut it off, never feel anything, but that is a complete _lie_. A vampire feels more strongly than a human does, if they want to admit it or not. Everything is heightened from when you are turned, and no one ever completely loses all humanity. What you feel, what you let in, is strong—stronger than anything else.

My humanity was never lost, and I found this out after I let myself understand.

My humanity was merely hidden underneath all the hatred, bloodlust, and responsibilities I have. Sookie was the one to awaken my humanity, and she did it without _knowing_, without _trying_. And the worst part of it all was for the fact that I allowed it to come, almost ignorantly, blindly, and before I knew it I had fallen from who I believed to be.

A hybrid—the one I intended to kill—had found a weakness inside of me that I didn't know I had, or was even capable to have.

She is the reason I'm questioning everything.

She is the cause of my hesitation.

She is my weakness.

She is my fate.

And I am in love with her.

I am absolutely in love with the girl lying across the bed silently. Her shallow breathing tells me that she is not dead, but her Fae powers really did a number on her tonight. Her brows slightly knitted as if she wasn't having a very good dream—and I wished that she would. I wish those brows would relax so she could get a good amount of rest.

I knew I loved her when she ran out in front of Pam and me. I knew my death was coming, I knew that the Elves would not hesitate to kill, and if that one arrow came flying, it would have went exactly through my heart, and I would be no more.

The problem was that I was actually _okay_ with that.

It would have been a savior arrow of death in my opinion because then I wouldn't have to feel so guilty about it all. Sookie would live—for as long as the Black Hole allowed her. She could have stayed hidden from most, in a valley somewhere, but at the same time, I knew that she wouldn't have a chance without me in this world.

It was wishful thinking, I guess.

She was to die either way regardless. If not by other Supernaturals, then by me. It was my fate—my fate alone and I would deal with the consequences later.

But if I had died, I would not have to deal with any of that.

When she put herself in between the oncoming force and me I felt pride. I felt pride that she would want to protect me the way she did, by using her own powers that she did not understand to the full extent. But for a brief moment, while I watched her run from the bush, fear laced around my heart.

I had been utterly afraid to lose her.

Thus, it truly opened my eyes, and my emotions to what I had been trying to deny. I was in love with her, as Sophie-Anne had said. I may have known it, but I knew it fully now.

A sound entered my hearing. A low groan.

"E—Er—ic,"

My name. Sookie spoke my name while she was dreaming.

A memory of just earlier came back to me.

_Eric, how do I keep doing that? What am I? _

They were her words right before she lost consciousness. Such strong emotion filled her voice, such sadness in her heart. She had no idea who or what she was. What she was even capable of doing. If she wanted to, she could kill me.

And who would blame her after what I would do to her. Sometimes—I wished that she would. I wish that she would kill me before I ever had a chance to do it to her.

There was another way. Another way we could do this, and I wasn't quite sure as to what that was. I would have to locate Mae to figure out all the details. Because I simply could not kill her the way I had planned before—what I still intended to do. If there was another way, a better way, then I would look into it.

Sookie was too good of a person to die.

And I was too much in love with her to bring her demise myself.

It was ironic really. Realizing the fate as it unfolded before me.

I laughed at the idea of falling in love with a fairy—the reason why we were stuck in this place. I made a promise to myself that I would never sink as low as to fall in love. In my mind that had always been an imaginary concept. No one could fall in love, because two people always wanted too many separate things. No one could give themselves fully to someone without regretting it later—especially a vampire.

A vampire lived for so long, and they change over the years. How can one possibly know if they will love someone forever? Forever is a really long time.

But as I thought that, I realized that I had changed. What I wanted before was no longer a forefront in my mind. I honestly did not want to kill Sookie, but fate had to play out. I had to get her to succumb to me, even before I would go in search of Mae. It was part of the premonition. It had to be done, but now I didn't feel so guilty about it.

I wanted her. I wanted her more than I wanted anything.

I want to claim her as my own and keep her for as long as I possibly could. Though, I wasn't sure what would happen afterward. If I loved her now, it could possibly end years later. But as the saying goes: _Live for today. Plan for tomorrow. _

Whatever tomorrow, a week, a month, a year, a century brought me, I would have lived for today—the day I loved her, and wanted to keep her alive.

That was all I could give, and I now strive for.

"Knock, knock," Pam's obnoxious voice came through the closed, locked door.

The door handle began to shake back and forth. She was fiddling with it, and I watched in silence, giving her time to figure out how to pick this lock. If she got tired of trying, and decided to break the door down, I would be highly pissed off.

But she didn't, and finally the lock flicked to the side, indicated that it had been open. I waited, and peered at the door as she pushed it open and snuck her head inside. Bringing her fingers up, she coiled the pointer in on itself and then beckoned to me.

With a raised eyebrow, I walked toward the door and outside into the small hall.

I could tell she was fuming, but it was buried pretty far underneath the calm mask she had on her face. She would boil over sooner or later, and I was rather sure of that.

"Haven't I heard enough of your bitching?" I said as a starter, hoping she would break.

I felt like I needed to punch something, and Pam just happened to be standing there. But that thought disappeared almost as suddenly. I was just looking for an excuse to get my mind off everything.

With a pointed look, she leaned against the wall. "I get it. You didn't tell me for a reason, and I am not going to press that any further. You didn't tell me, so I don't care."

"Of course you care," I rolled my eyes. "It is written all over your face, Pam."

"Neither here nor there, anymore." She sniffed. "What I want to know is what you plan on doing."

"Not sure." I shrugged.

"Excuse me," She whispered sarcastically. "Let me clean out my ears, because I am _sure_ I heard you wrong. What do you plan on doing? Repeat that again."

"Not. Sure." I said much more slowly, so her mind could catch up. It didn't need to be done, but having her pissed off was a better thing—an easier thing for me to deal with. "Maybe you do need your hearing checked. I don't know what I plan on doing. This isn't simple."

"Of course it is, Eric!" And—she blew up. Wonderful. "You have to do it! Or we can never get back to Earth! Yes, I like her, but I would rather save my neck than hers! The stupid Black Hole was spotted again, this time so very close to the castle! The woods toward the back! I just saw the pictures that a tourist brought here."

"A tourist?" I stood at alert. "Someone else is here?"

"Calm yourself! I made sure the humans were glamoured. They have no idea we are even here. They also left, as I instructed them to do."

"What were they doing by the castle?"

"They heard of the ruckus, and wanted to see it for themselves." Pam said. "Eric, we cannot keep putting this off! The humans know—_humans!_ That isn't good! Everyone wants to get out of here, be safe away from the Black Hole, and you are putting all their lives in danger. I don't care about that, the humans are expendable, but _we are not_. And all you can tell me is that you aren't sure what you are going to do?"

"Settle down." I growled.

"I don't care what you have to do. If you want to kill her—fine. If you want to find a way to do this without her dying—even better, but you better fucking think of something, and do it quickly! It's getting stronger, Eric, the Black hole is getting stronger. We don't have much time for your dillydally."

"Without her dying?"

"Don't try to hide from me, what you have hidden from yourself. It is written all over your fucking face. You love her."

I narrowed my glance, and walked toward the motel room. "Goodnight, Pamela."

"Don't you dare!" She screeched.

Turning around, I grabbed her by the throat. Lifting her off her feet, I looked into her eyes and hissed.

"I said goodnight, and you best listen to your maker, Pam. I will deal with it tomorrow night. This will all be over soon. No matter how I choose to end this is my business, not yours. Now kindly," I threw her to the floor. "Fuck off."

Slamming the door behind me wasn't a very good idea. Sookie had jolted upright, tightening the sheets around her body. Her mouth was open as if in a scream was right on the surface.

"E-Eric?" She whispered, looking around the room.

"It's me." I replied, setting down on the bed beside her. "Nothing to worry about."

"How'd we get here?" She asked, scooting slightly closer to me.

I wasn't sure if she noticed she had done it or not. Ironic—again. We gravitated toward each other, almost unnoticeably.

"I brought us here. We should be safe for tonight, and tomorrow morning." I sighed.

"E-Eric," There was strong emotion in her voice once more. I looked up to see that there were tears brimming her eyes. "I'm so sorry that you got shot by an arrow."

"I—" I had to clear my throat, something I rarely ever did. Her emotions were strong, lashing at me through the bond we share. "I'm all healed. Nothing to worry about."

The room had gone nearly silent. The only sound was Sookie's slight sniffling in the background. I couldn't take her feeling sad, but I knew there was more to it than that. I closed my eyes for the briefest moment before scooting next to her.

I let my fingers graze her arm, feeling goosebumps rise in my wake. I almost smirked. I made it up to her face, and cupped it in my big hands. She was so delicate.

"I will not let anything happen to you." I whispered, getting ever so closer. "You know that, right?"

My promise meant more than she knew. My promise to not let anything hurt her, including myself.

My eyes met hers, and I realized then how close we were. Our lips were millimeters apart. Sookie noticed this too, but didn't move. Her heart seemed to race in her chest as I leaned closer, and closer. I was almost there, our lips brushed, and I almost closed my eyes before she turned her head and darted out of my grasp.

I stared in shock as she stumbled to her feet, pressing her back into the wall just on the other side of the bed. Her eyes were wild, and she shook her head back and forth quickly.

"I-It's wrong." She murmured.

"What?" I questioned, standing up.

Sookie tried to push herself into the wall more as I took a step. It stopped me.

Was she…afraid of me?

"Eric, I—I'm sorry. I can't. You can't keep….k-kissing me like that." Once again, she shook her head.

"What are you talking about, Sookie? What has gotten into you?" I took another delicate step toward her. I couldn't have her be frightened of me—not now. Not after I decided to try to save her.

"The Fairy, Eric—the one you are with! I know you care for her! You must! So why do you keep kissing me?"

It paused me quickly, and I nodded at what she was saying. Ah, I understand now, I thought. She believes that I love the fairy. She really has no idea she is her, _still_. But Sookie isn't stupid in the slightest. She just doesn't know about it all, and I wasn't going to tell her yet.

As much as I wanted to, I had to let the fate, the destiny we are intertwined in play out. She had to give herself—willingly—to me. She had to love me. It no longer mattered if I wasn't going to break her after or not. I knew that much, and it was the worse feeling in the world.

But I hid my emotions underneath it all. I hid that guild and self-loathing of myself for somehow deceiving her. It hurt, and she could not feel that.

"Sookie, can I ask you a question?" I said slowly.

My eyes flew up to her eyes, following the pattern of her tired face. She was still weak, but she had woken up much sooner than the last time she had used her powers. It was a good sign, in my opinion.

"W-What do you want to know?"

"It's simple." I nodded my head, stepping toward her.

I got so very close to her, and I watched as she tried to back into the wall further, but there was nowhere to go with me on top of her now. My hand came up, catching her frantic hands as they molded together, showing just how nervous she was. It was cute, and adorable. She wanted me to be faithful to the fairy. I smirked lightly, and leaned in. Our lips touched slowly, and at first she did nothing. Then, her lips moved with mine. Soft and gently, she moved her mouth against mine, but she held back some. I pulled away, slightly panting. I chuckled throatily, lust overtaking my sight and making everything slightly blurry. Only she could do this to me. I've never felt this way before, but I loved it, and wanted to relish in it for as long as possible.

"If you do not want me to kiss you," I whispered, gently pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Why do you keep kissing me back?"

She had gone silent, and her eyes bugged out of her head. I chuckled again.

"I—not—Eric—" She couldn't form a sentence with what I had asked of her.

"You want to know why you kiss me back?" She said nothing, so I continued, "It is because you love me, and no matter how much you think I care for the fairy, it cannot touch it. Your love is strong, stronger than anything I have ever come across."

"It doesn't matter though." She spoke so softly, turning her head to the side so I could not look into her eyes.

I growled lightly. There was no way she would look away from me now. I jerked her head back in my direction, and pushed her further against the wall. My hands came up on either side of her head, trapping her in a position she could not even squirm in.

"It does matter. It matters to me." I spoke fiercely. "It matters because no one has loved me the way you do. No one ever wanted me just for me. Not my title, not my money, not the sex, not _anything_. You don't put a person in a category like most do. You love people for whom they are, not what they are, and I _enjoy_ that, Sookie. I love that about you." The word love was spoken so strongly, as I pushed her further into the wall. She whimpered slightly, her eyes filling with tears. "You believed I never fell in love, because I told you I didn't. I believed it, Sookie. I believed that I would never love someone, but that all changed, don't you see that?"

"W-What are you saying?" Sookie clenched out, blinking slowly. One single tear slipped down her cheek.

Bringing my hand away from the wall, I wiped the stray tear from her skin, and brought it to my lips. A salty, but sweet taste—unlike anything in the world.

"What I am saying is that it is you I love. I love you, Sookie, and I want to protect you. Don't worry about anything else, because I don't care about anything else."

"The fairy—"

I cut her off. "Just forget about the fairy, Sookie. Just forget it all right now." I brought my hand against her cheek once more, and put my lips to hers again. She didn't fight this time, but gave in. I felt it, her resolve and determination to believe my words, and hold on as tightly as she could. I pulled away, licking her lips as I did so. "Sookie, let me show you how much I love you. Please, Sookie, I have never wanted anything more than I want you."

"What do you want, Eric?" Her voice had taken on a sultry tone, and she panted before me.

"What I want is for you to yield to me. Right here, right now. I want you, but do you want _me_, Sookie?"

It was quiet for such a long time. Her emotions were in all different directions. I couldn't understand one enough before she moved onto the next one. Fear, joy, excitement, guilt, happiness, love—love. Her love for me.

I had her where I wanted her. But it was different this time. I wasn't doing it only for the destiny we shared. I wanted to do it, because I love her.

"Yes." She whispered, and I swooped in.


	25. Passion in the night

**Author's Notes: **

Dear God it has been forever! I am truly sorry about that, but I had a moment of writer's block, since my muse must have taken a vacation at some point. Don't worry, don't worry! I dragged her ass back here, and made her help me write this chapter. ;)

This one in particular was difficult for me to write, and get the chapter to be as I wanted it to. I'm not sure if I made it exactly how I had pictured it my mind, but it will do.

I hope you are all doing great, and again, sorry for such the delay. I hope I still have readers out there. *peers around the room*

Please do enjoy this chapter, and I hope I can get the next one out quicker this time. But trust me when I say this; No matter how long chapters take to come out, I will NOT give up on this story, and I hope you all will do the same. :)

**Additional Info:** For my other stories that have not been updated with the few I have just posted, stand by. In the next few days I am hoping and praying to update them, such as: Duality, True Awakening, and Getting Hitched.

I have bought a book to write down what I want in each chapter, for each of my stories, so hopefully, I am on a more normal and regular rotation of updates from now on. I really hope I can stick to it! Ha. :P

Much love.

**Warning:** Sexual content in this chapter. (Yes, I know, it's what all you gals expected, but I thought I should throw that in there anyway.)

Try to ignore any mistakes I have made. I am sure there are several. I was rushing to get a few chapters for some of my stories out today, and didn't look over it as much as I probably should have. Forgive me. :)

**I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!**

**XOXO-SharaMoon**

* * *

><p><em>She feels so delicate<em>, I thought wildly as I pushed her more against the wall, bracing myself on her.

The urge was too strong. I wanted her, and my mind didn't want to keep up to realize that she was still a maiden. She was a virgin. And because of that, I had to hold in one of the strongest urges I have ever felt toward another person. I wanted to take her swiftly, make her scream my name over and over until her throat was raw, and until she could no longer move.

_I couldn't and wouldn't hurt her._ My thoughts became a plea, meant for the beast inside of me.

Truthfully, these urges scared made me feel uneasy. Since I never felt so strongly about someone, I never held back before. With Sookie, I would take it slow.

"Look at me, lover." I whispered against her cheek.

She shivered at my words, but followed my instructions. Her dazzling blue eyes looked into mine. I was stunned at what I saw in the depths. She was so pure, not only because she was a virgin, never touched by a man, but because her eyes showed just how much she trusted me. A vampire male—that just told her that he loved her. She _trusted_ me, she picked me, and that is what her eyes spoke of—true love that not very many people get to see or even feel for themselves. People were too bitter in the world, too selfish, but she wasn't like that.

No one could ever touch her like I could. She was an angel—no—a Goddess and she deserved to be worshiped.

And she is the woman _fate_ gave to me.

I was willing to waste it. I was willing to throw that away and kill her. I was willing to give up her pure mind, body, and soul because of my own selfish reasons.

I lost my footing, overwhelmed with the thought of what I actually might have done to her before, when I ignored all the signs, when I wanted her dead.

I leaned down, bracing my forehead on her shoulder for a moment. My arms fell from the wall and wrapped themselves around her waist tightly, securely. I needed to make myself believe that was the past and now I was looking forward to today—when I chose to love her and try to save her life.

"E-Eric?" Her voice was timid, slightly shaking. She was nervous, but there was something else in her tone I couldn't quite place. "It's okay, Eric. I—I want to do this. I want to be with you."

Confirmation. She thought I needed to hear her say that it was alright to move forward_. Oh, my sweet Sookie, my lover, _I thought with a mocking chuckle inside my own brain. _You are too good for me._

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

My body felt hot, on fire really. Every part tingled as Eric wrapped himself around my waist, pulling me closer to his body. He felt colder all of a sudden, but maybe that was because I was so warm from all of the newly thrown out words.

He loved me. _Eric_ loved _me_.

That made me feel good. It made me feel right, like I was always, always meant to feel it. He was my dream man. I always wanted King Eric to be my first—as crazy and delusional as I once thought that to be, it was now a reality. He not only loved me, but he wanted me. He wanted to be mine, my first, and maybe my forever.

I was willing to give that.

Eric moved his forehead from my shoulder, running his lips along my throat. I felt him breathe in, and sighing aloud. It left goosebumps in its wake as the warmer air tickled the skin. I shivered, but I wasn't left dangling for long. He moved back slightly, cupping my cheeks in his hand. His lustful blue eyes gazed into mine. They smoldered before me, burning with something I am not used to seeing in men a lot. Behind the lust, in the irises of his blues, in the way he crinkled his eyes to get a better look at me, I saw something new—something that confirmed it all for me. Eric did love me, but I knew even without asking, that he was scared of something. Maybe it was for the fact that he loved me, maybe it was something more deep, buried inside, but none of that mattered to me. All that mattered was that he was here. He wanted this just as much as I wanted it.

I was afraid, yes, but only because I've never been in a position quite like this. I never truly thought that a man would want to touch me, let alone love me. I probably wouldn't have been able to have anyone get this close to me before because of my 'gift'. I heard everything, every thought, every move someone wanted to make. It frightened me, left me turned off, and I just couldn't ever get over that. But it wasn't a problem with Eric and truthfully—it probably wouldn't have mattered anyway, if I could hear his thoughts, because I loved him that much. I loved him enough to take this precious gift of mine, and be the only ever to receive it.

He would always have a piece of me after this. It didn't scare me. It left me feeling…empowered. Eric would always hold something of mine that no one else would ever have. He would take my purity.

"Are you sure?" He said softly, gliding his hands down to grab my own in his. He held them there tightly, between our bodies to give us some space.

"I'm sure." My voice held steady that time, and I was thankful. I wanted him to know that I wanted this.

And then he was pulling me ever so slowly to the bed, and my heart began to race. It was so loud; thundering in my ears with each baby step I took toward the bed I had just crawled out of not too long ago. Eric's eyes never left mine, and I would say that he was looking for any confirmation that I didn't want to do this, that I was going to push him away, or possibly scream in terror. I guess making love with a vampire was a lot different than just a human male.

I never thought about it that way before. I never thought about Eric that way, but it was true. He wasn't a human. I was in love with a vampire—the King of vampires to be more exact. He's been…around the block probably thousands of times. That is what paused me, which is what made Eric jerk to a halt before me as his brows furrowed in slight confusion.

I gulped, my cheeks felt really hot.

"I've never…done this."

Eric smirked, slightly relieved if I wanted to guess. "I know, Sookie."

"So, I'll most likely be bad at it…" I trailed off, turning my head to look in any direction but his face. "I know you've been with…countless girls before me, and I'm sure they were all more experienced in this than—than I am."

"That is what you are afraid of?" He whispered, pulling me back in again.

His lips touched mine ever so softly while his hands trailed down to the hem of my shirt, moving it, before playing with the skin right below. It was right under my naval that his fingers brushed against, sending a new wave of sensation to the lower regions of my body. I shivered once more.

"That I will not enjoy this?" His brows furrowed once more, but he still didn't remove his hands from my skin below my naval.

"I—I…" I stuttered for more than just the obvious.

He captured my mouth once again, more urgently this time. I felt something wet slide against my lower lip, and my mouth parted on its own accord. His tongue slipped inside slowly, flicking against my own before pulling out and repeating the process.

After every swipe of his tongue, his eyes would connect with mine. It was….getting hot in here—even more so than just a few moments ago. My stomach felt warm, and that warmth traveled lower and lower until my knees started quaking below me. I honestly didn't know if I could stand much longer.

"Sookie…" He mumbled so lowly that I almost missed it. I was glad I didn't.

His hands moved to the hem of my shirt once more, and this time his eyes found mine and pinned me with a gaze. He smiled gently before tugging on the hem. I was confused at first until he tugged one more time, with a little bit more force.

He wanted—wanted to take it off?

Slight fear crept into my throat because no man had ever seen me naked. No man had ever looked and therefore, no man ever got to judge me. What if Eric doesn't like what he will see?

He has been with a lot of women before my time. I'm not as skinny as the women he is usually around. The other pets were almost all super model sized women, and I wasn't technically that myself. I had some _curves_—for a better word.

Without objection from any body language, I stepped forward and lifted my hands. It was time to be daring, to be brave and proud of my body, regardless of what anyone else thinks._ I_ am happy with how I look.

His smirk only grew a bit wider as he lifted the shirt so very slowly. When it was to my ribs, his fingers jetted out, letting the palms of his hands guide the shirt up as his fingers played with the skin. Goosebumps once again, and I slightly jumped—I was very ticklish there, and he would see that on my face as I shook my head with a nervous giggle on my lips.

Then the shirt was above my head and tossed to the floor by our feet. I looked down at the very simple bra I had on. It hadn't been mine, I knew that, and it wasn't all that pretty. It was a bit too big in the cup area. I blushed with embarrassment that shouldn't have really been there, but was. It wasn't like I planned on wearing something sexy since I had no idea I was going to give up my virginity today. Something of that magnitude hadn't been on my mind—at all.

Eric's brows rose slightly as his eyes devoured my top half with his eyes. He stopped on the ugly bra—yeah, anyone would I guess. It looked pretty bad on my body. He seemed to not like it because at that exact moment, his hand came up, grabbing the baggy, thin material between his fingers and ripping it completely away from me. The only thing that was left was the thin material hanging around my two arms, the straps still intact.

I gasped—of course I did. I also threw my hands up, trying to cover myself. I had not expected that to happen. Eric chuckled—of _course_ he did. He probably loved that shocked look on my face.

But the chuckle was so very deep and rough, making the hairs stand up straight on my body—all over my body. Eric proceeded to step forward and uncover my arms, and then step back.

I was under scrutiny. He was looking over every inch of my top half—my neck, my shoulders, my arms, my breasts, and my stomach before repeating this for a few moments.

I was beyond embarrassed by this and went to cover up once more with a huff, but he stopped me.

"Don't you dare try to hide from me." He whispered, leaning in to kiss my lips once. "You are beautiful, gorgeous, _perfect_, Sookie. I want to see all of you. Don't deny me this. I've waited—_longer_ than you know."

And just like that, I melted at his words. He said I was perfect? That had to be one of the best things I've heard in a while, and I know he wasn't just saying it to make me feel less subconscious about myself. So I lowered my arms—as high as I got them anyway—back to my side and stood still. He smiled gently.

Very carefully, his hand came up to the smooth plain of my stomach. His hand was still cold, so I did shiver, but I didn't move. I—I wanted him to touch me, as nervous as I was, I still wanted him to. His fingers trailed a line from my naval up to the start of my ribs, and then he stopped. He took a moment—hand still there, fingers still touching—before moving forward. I guess he was waiting for me to comment on if he should stop. I didn't.

My breath came out in a slight pant as his fingers inched ever so higher between my breasts. He was following the bone in the middle up to my neck. His other hand joined then, running along my collarbone before grasping my shoulders in his hands slightly.

I twitched because his hands weren't touching the part I wanted him to touch, what I was yearning for. My bodies reaction to it, as his shirt rubbed against my right nipple was…fascinating to say the least. It was such light contact and yet, it brought a whimper from my lips. It was a light noise, but I knew he heard. He chuckled again, but didn't comment as he finally moved his hands to the top of my breast. His fingers gingerly moved at a slow pace, so slow I could barely take it.

Then, what I had been waiting for. His fingers came in contact with my nipples with another light, barely there touch, but it was enough. My arms flew up to his shoulders, and my eyes met his. Heat and lust glared back at me, but I was most definitely sure I had the exact same look in my own eyes now.

It was different, than anything I had ever felt. The lust was indescribable.

I felt wetness between my legs. It wasn't totally uncomfortable—except for the new throbbing that started—and the fact that I could feel it slick against my thighs. The sensation pulsed between my legs—blood pumping harder to a place I hadn't necessarily felt before. I groaned a bit louder.

"So many reactions to such small touches," Eric seemed to be musing. "I wonder what would happen—"

He never finished his sentence as his head bent low and his tongue came in contact with my left nipple. He cupped his hands around it as he did it, facing it the way he wanted it to be. I gasped wildly. My knees trembled and then collapsed. He caught me, of course, and then we were traveling backward. So far backward until we went down on something slightly bouncy—the bed broke our fall. He had planned it. I knew he had as soon as he chuckled again. It was slightly mocking, but not in a way that would embarrass someone. He was truly happy with my outcome.

Then, faster than my body could understand, I was below him. Eric was now leaning over top of me, with his right hand under my back. His eyes sparkled as he looked down upon me.

"You are quite sensitive, Sookie."

"I guess I am." I panted. "Will you—will you do that again?"

"You mean lick your beautiful pink nipples?" He was so direct when he spoke of sexual things I found out. "I would love to do that and more…so much more."

Eric pulled his arm out from behind my back before gripping the hem of his own shirt. Swiftly, he lifted it over his head. It collected on the floor next to my own, I'm assuming.

My eyes bulged and I propped myself slightly up to get a look at him, just as he did of me. If he was able to look, then so was I. There was no need to feel embarrassed anymore. The lust was far too great to leave any room for any self-conscious emotions.

He was a—a god!

His body was chiseled perfectly from his abs to his pecks. His strong arms stood out in front of me, looking extra bulky the way he sat, staring at me while I was ogling him. His skin tone was light—he was a vampire after all—but he wasn't totally colorless. His skin was just…flawlessly smooth. I would never get tired of just looking at him.

Until I looked to his left side, noticing something I never noticed before and something I didn't think I would ever see on a vampire. It was a scar and probably happened before he became a vampire. I would have to ask him about that later because my mind was too fuzzy to really form words of question.

He was just perfect. The same word he had used with me—a human. It seemed like such an impossible concept to me now. I could never be that beautiful, that…gorgeous, because I was just me. I was just plain old Sookie, and yet, he used that word for me. It was odd to compare myself to him, when there was really no comparison at all, but if he thought I was beautiful or perfect, then that was wonderful. Maybe we were just perfect for each other.

I took a glance at his face to see him smirking at me.

"Do you like what you see, Sookie?" He asked.

"Yes." There was no point in lying. "You are perfect."

He chuckled, leaning down over me once more. What was different was the fact that he was now laying on top of me perfectly. Our chests were against each other. Eric used his hand to pry my legs apart to fall between them, and then he kissed me once more.

It was more than just a kiss; it was more than just his tongue dancing along with mine. He was taking this forward, not looking to play around anymore. After a few sweet kisses, he moved to my neck. He left open mouth kisses down my neck, collarbone, until he reached my right nipple where he paused for just a moment before placing his mouth directly over top of it. And then he sucked.

One powerful suck that made my back arch off the sheets, colliding with his chest and whimper deeply in the back of my throat. It was a whine from me, and without really knowing what I was doing, my hips move. I found myself grinding into him, to break some of the frustrations within, and ease the throbbing pain in my core.

I couldn't say that the way I moved worked. I was pinned down, and I could only move so far. It wasn't the release I wanted from the action itself. It did nothing to break the fire pooling in my stomach, or the ache between my thighs. I groaned, closing my eyes tightly, and said something I never thought would slip from my mouth, and yet, it did.

"You are such a tease."

It was nearly a growl, something I didn't recognize in my own voice—something I never quite thought myself capable to do. I growled—_growled_. And not just any growl. It has a hit of annoyance and total joy mixed into it. It was like I was a different person as I spoke those words, but I didn't want to think about it. I was just…intent on what I was about to do. What I wanted to do..._now_.

"Impatience gets us nowhere, lover." Eric's voice was smug.

I knew then and there, that he was the only one going to be able to make me feel this crazy in a situation such as this one. Crazy yet elated—such a weird combination. I smiled gently.

Before I could speak, he spoke once more. "But maybe I am taking this a bit too slowly for your body. Should we, perhaps, heat things up a bit?" The grin that was on his face was magnificent, so sly—so devilish. I wondered for an instant if I was in big trouble.

It turns out, I was.

His hands went down between us before he sat up on the bed, spreading my legs slightly further apart in the process. He then let them fall to the button on my pants, and unhooked it quickly. The zipper followed close behind.

Before I could blink, my pants flew from my legs. I also saw something small flying with them behind Eric. As I looked down I noticed he also removed my panties at the same time. How was that possible? I have no idea, but I was naked. Completely and fully in my birthday suit as I laid before him.

I swallowed hard, trying to wrap my head around it. Everything got real so quickly. I was actually going to do this—we were actually going to do this, but not yet. No, I think he had something else planned for me. His smile told me so.

Eric shifted me forward on the bed so that I was lying completely flat, and I did not dare to move. I had no idea what he planned on doing, but I knew it was something big. I gulped one more time, my eyes flying up to meet his. Such mirth was evident in his gaze, such happiness that made me forget all my worries in an instant. I knew he wasn't going to hurt me, I knew he loved me, but something inside jumped at the action. I ignored it.

"Where do you want me to touch you, my pet?" He said huskily. His fingers dipped down my body, between my breasts, and asked, "Here?" So, he wanted to play a game. I shook my head. "How about here?" His finger trailed down to my stomach, right above my naval. Again, I shook my head and he smirked. I felt as his two fingers started to walk across my stomach—no, they did not glide anymore against my skin. He literally inched his way down, and down smugly, until my stomach quivered in anticipation. His fingers were still on the top of the low slope, he could only go lower, dipping in between my legs if he so desired. "Is it here, where you want me to touch you, Sookie?"

I shivered violently. He was so close. The throbbing only grew more intense, as if it knew the fingers were inches away. Oh God…oh God…oh God, my mind chanted over and over again.

He waited patiently for my queue to continue, and when I finally nodded, I fell into what could only be described as my own personal Heaven. I had never felt anything so good before as his fingers dipped lower, running over my clit slowly before swooping up and continuing in a circular motion. He was barely touching me, but it was so wonderful. Eric slowly went lower and lower, light caresses and yet, it was everything.

My fingers gripped the sheets and a moan escaped my lips. I simply couldn't hold it back.

"So wet." He commented lightly. "Eager are we, my love?"

"E-Eric…"

My voice was a whine once again, but different than the last. It was a thankful one, one that was grateful for his touches, because he was soothing that ache, but it still wasn't enough. As much bliss as I was receiving from his fingers gliding up and down and gripping my clit every few seconds, it just wasn't enough to sate me, pacify that—that hunger only he could awaken in me.

I no longer….felt like myself. Through this experience, I've changed. I felt like I've changed. Do all women feel this way when they are about to lose their virginity? I wasn't quite sure about that, but I knew I would have never acted this way, ever, if it wasn't for him. I liked it, and yet, it made me feel odd at the same time. I was discovering something I never knew about myself. I was discovering that I loved these—somehow; because it came to my mind as such—_forbidden_ touches.

But I wanted _more_. I wanted it all. I wanted every single thing Eric could offer me. And I wanted it _now_.

It was like he heard my silent pleas because his face grew soft, softer than I had ever seen it. He changed, just as I had in those few minutes. His index finger went lower, placing itself right outside my entrance.

"To—" Eric stopped to clear his throat. "To start, I have to open you up a bit more."

"Wh—What?" I was too far gone to hear what he said at first.

"I am too big for some, and you are a virgin."

His eyes lowered to where he was talking about. My mouth formed an 'O' and then I nodded.

Eric nodded in return, his brows creased ever so gently, and he bent down slightly. His body curved around my one section of my body. His left hand came to rest on the bed next to my waist while his right hand, his index finger slowly began forward into my core.

It was…different. Not a bad different, nor did it hurt, but the feeling of something harder going inside of me wasn't something that felt totally grand either. I tried to relax on the bed, waiting for him to finish his course and finally, he stopped pushing in. Eric's eyes met mine for a moment before he began to move again in and out, repeatedly. He went out only to come back, pushing his finger in deeper and deeper, until it was as far as it could go.

The odd feeling began to fade as his finger felt more slick inside of me, as it began to move at a steadier pace, and I found myself panting as new feelings began to take over. My face felt flushed, my stomach was bubbling with something I hadn't felt before. It was like I was climbing a steep hill, anxiously wanting to reach the top—it's the only way I can describe it. I was climbing, reaching for something that seemed just out of my grasp. I realized that it was not a hill, but rather a mountain. It felt like it was taking so long to reach what I was grasping at.

A moan escaped my lips as Eric twisted his finger inside of me. The nerve endings in there were dancing to their own tune as his finger glided over them, sending me into a frenzy I didn't know I was capable of. I wanted it—needed it. I needed to reach the top, I needed—I needed _release_.

The bubbling in the pit of my stomach only grew stronger, almost painfully so, but he did not stop, and I never asked him to. Just thinking of what could be on the other side, what would lead after this set me on fire, because this building inside of me could only grow so much until it came undone, right?

Eric quickly pushed my legs apart, and somehow made his way up to my lips without ever breaking stride with his finger. It was kept at a steady pace between our bodies, and every now and then, he would use his thumb to massage my clit.

I gasped as I felt another finger slip inside. Another digit to add to the pleasure. He took that part slowly, I noticed, making enough room, spreading me out, before he went further. Eric did the same thing, with another finger. _That makes…three_, I thought heavily. Three fingers were inside of me—deeply inside of me. He burrowed as far as those would go, as far as my body would allow it.

It wasn't painful—I wouldn't go straight to that word. Uncomfortable, yes, but not as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. Strange, really, but I guess I could account for how wet I felt between my legs. His fingers were slick.

A few more pumps in and out, and I was coming close to the end of something. The mountain's top was just there. I could feel the building, the bubbling reaching the surface, but it seemed like no end was in sight for me.

"God," My head rolled to the side. "Eric, please…"

I wasn't sure what I was begging him for, but I knew he would understand. I knew that he would do whatever it was to make that pressure break free; allow me to finish my climb. And he did just that, curving his fingers inside, he found a bundle of nerves inside and repeatedly touched it as he glided in and out slightly faster.

I cried out as the pressure broke free. The mountain came so suddenly, and I began falling down the other side. Tumble after tumble of pleasure erupted within my body that it left me unable to cry out any more than that first time. My back arched off the bed again, and I fisted the sheets in my fingers. My mouth was gaping, but no word could form—no words or sounds could describe how I felt at that moment. I just couldn't express the magnitude of bliss that poured from me.

I leaned up, grabbing Eric's lips in my own, and kissed him deeply as his fingers still moved and worked their magic down below. My legs trembled, falling as far open as they possibly could, but I still did not release his lips. His tongue darted out, licking my bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth and sucking gently.

Sadly, it ended just as quickly as it came, and I was left motionless on the bed. Eric's lips were still on mine, and neither of us moved. I didn't want to. I wanted to just…feel this moment. The after effect of orgasm—my very, very first.

"Sookie," He whispered, and I smiled gently. "I'm sorry."

"S-Sorry?" I stuttered, unable to catch my breath. I only just now noticed that I was neglecting to get air into my lungs. I took a deep breath.

"When we kissed, my fangs nipped your lip."

My hand flew up to my mouth, but I couldn't find anything wrong. There was a small amount of coppery taste in my mouth, but it wasn't horribly overpowering. I realized that I wasn't hurt as badly as he made that sound. I giggled.

"You sound…frightened by that."

"Not frightened," He shook his head, coming to rest next to me on the bed. He leaned in and nuzzled my neck with his nose, taking a deep breath through his nose, I noticed. "I just never slipped like that before. I am usually good at controlling myself. My fangs do not just come out in a heated moment. It's never happened, but…it did this time, and for that, I am sorry."

I closed my eyes, and I smiled. He was apologizing for that? Seriously? I nodded to myself before I rolled over, totally forgetting everything that just happened because it wasn't on the forefront of my mind.

"Can I see them?" I asked.

"My fangs?" He raised an eyebrow.

I nodded.

Eric looked at me for a moment before opening his mouth slightly. I didn't see them, and my brows lowered in confusion. Then, as quick as blinking, his fangs clicked into place. It almost startled me at first, but I shook it off as I came closer.

They were sharp, I took noticed. Sharp and deadly, but they didn't scare me. He was fascinating, vampires in general were, but there was just always something about Eric that I adored so much, even before I met him and only knew of the story. I leaned in, bringing my hand closer for inspection, and I touched the right fang, the one closest to me. I smiled as my hand trailed down to touch the tip, but I must have gone in too fast. I punctured the skin before I could even recognize that I did it. I pulled away and watched one small pearl of blood form on top of the small puncture wound. After a moment, I looked up into his eyes, and brought my finger out for him. I wanted him to take it. There was nothing else I could do, other than wipe it away, but in the presence of a vampire—the vampire King—that seemed like such a waste, even for the smallest amount.

He smiled lightly, catching on.

Eric grabbed my hand gently in his, and brought it up to his mouth. I watched the action, as he slowly pulled his lips away until my finger was lodged in his mouth. Another twinge in my stomach alerted me to the fact that I actually enjoyed watching him take blood from me. It was…well, it was sexy, the way he did it. He sucked once before pulling my finger from his mouth, licking the remains, before placing my hand in his. He held it, looking into my eyes.

"I love you." He whispered lightly—spur of the moment.

Butterflies erupted when he said it, making me feel all tingly inside, and I never wanted that to end. It was enjoyable to know that he felt the same way. All else was forgotten.

"I love you." I repeated just as honestly as he did.

Eric leaned in, pulling me closer to his body, and then he flipped on his back. My body followed suit, rolling until I was lying on top of his form. The roles reversed. I bent down, finding a place to kiss, and got his shoulder. I then moved to his collarbone, then his neck, and finally, his lips. Eric's arms only tightened around my back with each peck, like if he didn't hold on tight enough I would disappear, and I could share that fright with him myself. On occasions, I was afraid that this was all just a dream. That none of this was real, but I knew otherwise. What I was feeling seemed to be too real; even for a dream.

I felt as his hands creeped around my back and bottom, running gently, and massaging the areas. It felt so good. Eric nudged my head to the side to reach my ear, and that exact moment, he grinded his hips against mine, and I felt the same hardness as I had before. I knew what it was. The tingling only grew stronger between us.

"I want you, Sookie." He whispered in my ear, grabbing the lobe into his mouth and biting gently. His fangs were no longer at play.

I nodded, because I felt the same way, but at the same time….

"I'm…nervous, Eric."

And I was. I had been for all of it, but the idea of us actually having sex frightened me slightly. Not because I did not want it, but for the fact that once it was done, it could never be undone, and also for the fact that it hurts for women the first time. Not uncomfortable like his fingers, but actually hurting once he breaks that thin membrane keeping me pure. I wanted him, more than I wanted anything in the world, and I knew my love was true. Just the actual realization that this was going to happen was kind of unnerving.

"I know." He replied. "I can feel your emotions, remember?"

I nodded. "I-I love you." I repeated, feeling like I needed to. "I want this, and I want you."

And I gracefully—as gracefully as I could—slipped off of him, and moved my way up on the bed until I was lying flat with my head on the pillows at the top. He didn't move for a moment, and I wondered if he didn't want to continue, but before I could ask—or fear—he moved to stand, and his pants slowly fell from his body.

I watched, and my eyes grew wide at just how big he really was down below. I gulped, wondering to myself if he was actually going to fit inside, but I deduced that to shreds. Of course he would. It might take some time, but…he would…sooner or later.

Eric gently fell to the sheets, crawling up to lay on top of me, but he did not lower himself. His arms kept him suspended above my body. He looked different, but not a bad different. There was no open mirth in his eyes anymore, but I knew it hid underneath and wasn't completely gone. He just looked serious.

"Are you sure?" He whispered to me for the second time tonight. His eyes held mine with such intensity that I wasn't sure if I could answer him right away. "I can't undo this once it's done." I knew that, I thought the same thing to myself moments ago. I nodded. "I love you, truly and honestly, I do, Sookie Stackhouse. I need to hear you say you want this, fully. That you want me to take your most precious gift."

"I do, Eric. I want you. I want this." I spoke softly, smiling. Tears brimmed my eyes, because I felt his love. How great it was in that moment. He left his emotions open for me to feel that, as if willing me to believe every word he said was the truth—and it was. He loved me, more greatly than he loved anything else in this world.

"Do you trust me?"

"I do." I promised.

And then he leaned down, placing his body strategically over me, but I felt none of his weight. He held himself close, and yet, far enough away to where his weight alone wouldn't crush me. I felt him at my entrance then, and slight fear crept inside, but also excitement, and pure love. A strange combination, but I knew I would be able to get through it.

He pushed in slowly, and I felt everything right away. I felt him stretching me even further than his fingers did, but it wasn't horrible. No, that part was coming soon.

"Relax," He commanded gently. "You freeze up, and it will hurt more, lover."

I hadn't realized I was doing that, and I huffed a sigh as I relaxed on the sheets. He inched his way in deeper, inch by inch until he stopped completely. I had a moment of confusion again, because I did not feel pain. A slight uncomfortable feeling from just him inside, yes, but not what I was waiting for.

"Look at me, lover." Eric said. "Just look at me. Are you ready?"

I gulped again and nodded.

He pushed.

The pain as he thrust forward fast, one swift motion, and broke through the membrane hurt badly. I gasped wildly, throwing my arms around his back, and grabbing skin. My teeth clamped together, as tears formed in my eyes. There was a new throbbing, more pain than I could have really said, and it stayed like that. The pain just throbbed on and on.

"Oh, Sookie," He spoke breathily. "I'm sorry."

"N-No," I stammered. "I-I'm fine. Just—Just don't move yet, please."

I asked that of him, because I needed time to reset. I needed that time to relax once more, and pray that throbbing died down just a bit. Two minutes passed before I felt like I could breathe again, and the pain slowed, but it was still there, and was always on the back of my mind.

And once I gripped back onto reality, I nodded for him to continue. He paused for one more second before he moved. It still hurt—hurt a bit more as he moved, but I asked him to continue. It's what I wanted. I needed to get over that hurt, because I knew there would be something better. Maybe not as great this time around, but another time…and yes, I was sure there would be plenty more times, because no matter the pain, I still wanted to bond with Eric this way. The pain hadn't made me fear the future, or anymore moments like this one.

The pain never fully faded as he pushed in and out, but it got easier as time went by. There was pleasure mixed with pain, and that seemed fine by me. I gripped him tightly, pulling him closer to me as we made love. I kissed him thousands of times. I whispered sweet nothings. And he did the same—comforting me through the pain, the pleasure. It was like a blanket of reassurance, keeping me warm and content as we continued.

The bond we shared only seemed to grow stronger as time went on, and truthfully, I lost track of time. It could have been hours or days for all I knew, but time didn't seem to matter to me. All that mattered was that I could feel us growing together, growing stronger. That bond meant everything to me now.

Eric leaned down and bit into my neck gently, taking my blood into his mouth. It was a different sensation, because it seemed to heighten my own pleasure. It radiated euphoric sensations, starting where the initial bite took place all the way down into my toes. And he drank slowly, but deeply, basking in my life essence so close, so vital. He groaned as he drank, licking the wound gently, lovingly as he sipped.

It was the most perfect thing I could think of. This was my heaven. This is what I always wanted, what I always needed, and I couldn't help but think that I had a place in my life now. I was always meant to be with him. Regardless of the premonition, regardless of everything, I knew—just knew, deep inside my heart and mind that I was always meant to be here. Not technically in this world, but any world—as long as Eric was there.

He was everything. He was my world.

As relatively common in fairytales as that may sound, it was nothing but the truth for me, and I believed it with everything I have.

My release was gentle, much less dramatic than the first, but still the best. I could classify it as that, because it was with him. Colors sparked behind my lids as a wispy breath left my lips, my head falling to the pillows slowly. My body shook slightly, trembling from the overload of ecstasy.

Eric followed shortly after, just as gently as mine had been. It was nothing over the top, but it just seemed right. Everything seemed to fall into place.

And I was content.


	26. Truth and lies

**Author's Notes:** Hello readers.

*****Important Please Read!*****

I cannot tell you anything that you don't already know. I haven't updated a single one of my stories in quite some time. I will try to explain how I am feeling to you all.

It's been hard on me trying to update, because I simply lost inspiration to do so. For the first time, in a very long time, I just haven't felt like writing, and it has been making my chapters lack that special feeling that I used to get while creating things for you to read.

I guess, I was feeling the heat, so to speak, and I needed a break. I still do, and that means you must be patient with me as I write.

As much as I love it, and as much as I love for you guys to read everything I have created, I know that it has been lacking, and I'm not fond of that. I have been writing odds and ends of different things, and to be honest, it just doesn't feel like me. Even for a month or two, I had thought about quitting, to be honest with you all. I sometimes sat down and wrote, and felt that I was the most horrible writer out there.

But then I remembered why I started my stories. It was because it was my get away. No matter if I was the best writer in the world or the worst. I did it for me, because I loved coming up with new ideas. And though I remembered this, I am still having troubles. It led me to believe that I still have passion for writing, but I need to find my spark again.

All I can say is that I hope you stick with me, no matter how long chapters take to come out. As I have said before, no matter how long it takes; (weeks, months, years) to finish my stories, I will never give up on a single one, and I hope you stick with me.

*****Also:** I can tell you right now that the next story I plan on updating is Essential Destiny. I will be working on that, and when I do, I might need all my readers' help. Because the wedding chapter will be coming up soon for that story and I want you all to participate. I want **YOU** to help me create that chapter. When I decide to do it, I will put things on my wordpress site that you will need to pretty much vote on. Different things, such as what dress Sookie will be wearing, the flowers, invitations, music, venue, ect…ect.

I think it shall be fun, and maybe even help inspire me to finish that story off. So, please, stand by for more info on that. :)

But, enough of that for now…

_**Author's thoughts**_**: **I'm not exactly sure how I feel on this chapter. It got my point across, yes. I got everything I wanted into this chapter, and yet, I still feel like it is lacking that…'excitement' in it that previous chapters I have written. Still, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope you forgive the lack of updates.

XOXO—SharaMoon

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch.

* * *

><p>Everything was quiet while I laid in bed next to Eric. Time seemed to stand still in such a peaceful way that I didn't want it to end.<p>

Eric's arm was draped around my midsection, pulling me closer to his cool body, spooning me as closely as it would allow. His fingers lazily swept across my stomach, creating small circular motions as if to sooth me, but I didn't need to be soothed. I was more comfortable than I ever had been in my whole life, and the smile on my face was proof of that. My cheeks felt warm and sort of burned from smiling so widely, but I couldn't help it. I simply couldn't stop smiling.

His hand found my own and linked our fingers together as he broke the silence.

"You are so beautiful." He whispered lightly, lazily. "Have I told you that?"

My smile seemed to grow just a tad more.

"Only for the hundredth time," I giggled, "but I don't get tired of hearing it."

Eric's hand came up and pushed my hair out of the way before his mouth fell to the slope of my neck, right where the left over bite marks were. He kissed gently, lingering.

"I love you." He said gently.

"I don't get tired of that either." I laughed.

Turning around on the bed, I laid my head on the pillow and looked deeply within Eric's eyes. He looked back, just as I did to him, and a small smirk lifted the right corner of his lips.

We were still as naked as could be, but that seemed perfectly fine. I was in _no rush_ to put my clothes on. I pushed myself closer, feeling his skin rub against my own, and I could have purred. The temperature difference didn't bother me at all; in fact, I liked how he felt against me. I loved it. I loved him. With his cool body against my still slightly flushed form, I knew that I wanted him again, but for now I could wait.

As content as I was, my lower region still hurt a bit. It was nothing that was life threatening or anything like that, but I was still tender, and if I moved a certain way I winced every now and again. He knew this, but it still didn't stop his body from reacting to my new position on the bed. I felt the newly formed erection poking my upper thighs, and I had to readjust myself slightly, giggling once more.

"How much stamina do you have?" I said in a teasing, shocked voice.

"I could go for hours and hours if I wanted," He paused to grab a few stray hairs of mine and began twirling them around in his fingers. "The problem is, if the person I am bedding is human, probably would not be able to last as long as I do. Rubbed raw takes on a whole new meaning in that sense."

I wrinkled my nose at his poking, snide joke. I was human. Did that mean I would not last as long as him? Well, certainly that would be the case. Fear crept up in my heart for a moment, and he paused in the hair twirling, meeting my eyes with a confused gaze. Someday, would he get tired of me because I couldn't keep up with him?

The bond we shared was still wide open, so I had just given him a preview into my silent emotions.

"Are you alright, Sookie?" He asked, leaning slightly closer.

The twirling of the hair was long forgotten as he laid his hand on my hip and moved me even closer to him, until there was no room between our bodies at all. We were flat up against each other, and it wasn't particularly comfortable, but I didn't want to move away.

"It's just that…" I buried my face against his neck. "I wondered if you would get tired of me, because I don't have that much stamina to go hours and hours."

Wow—I felt really stupid.

Everything was silent for a few seconds before I heard a slight rumbling chuckled.

"No, Sookie," Eric finally said. "I could never tire of you since we share a bond, and because I love you. From those two reasons, I can tell you that it heightens everything. It makes making love feel better than anything I have ever experienced. How could I tire of the woman that gives me so much pleasure? Because you are the only one that could make me feel this way. It's one of the only things I am sure of, _positively_, now."

"You don't know that." I gnawed on my lip for a brief moment. "There could be others that…"

I never got to finish my rambling because he had kissed me passionately. His tongue slipped into my mouth, collecting mine in a dance that only we would know the moves of. I felt his teeth grab ahold of my bottom lip and gently suck on it.

Eric maneuvered me gently on top of him, so gently that I felt no pain between my legs. He lifted me slightly, and I waited for the wince that I was so sure would come, but hardly did, as he gently lowered me on his erect member.

The burst of heated, raw passion filled me completely. The slight throbbing that began, the slight pain from the initial gliding, flew away from me as I felt exactly what he was talking about. He opened the bond wider and let me 'peer' into his emotions, clouding my mind until I couldn't think about anything but the pleasures from both of us.

He hadn't even moved; just simply let us become one.

"You are the only one for me," Was all he said, and I knew it to be true.

How could it not? The way this felt…it was like we were meant for each other. It was the only way to describe it. Two puzzle pieces joining together, no other pieces could fit perfectly the way we did.

"Oh," Was all I could reply, but it was a guttural sound. A slight moan lingered afterward.

He moved his hands up my sides, gliding up and down for a few seconds before he grasped my hips and began to lift me away from him. I almost protested, not wanting to have those feeling fade away from me, but he smirked gently.

"As much as I would like to take you again," He spoke almost groggily, "it is nearing dawn, and I must sleep. We've got a long journey a head of us soon, my love. And besides, you are growing tired as well, and weak."

His lips pursed for a moment before he opened his mouth. I heard the faint snick before I saw his fangs. Swiftly—so quick I almost didn't see the action—he bit into his wrist. I noticed the red ooze first, before I looked up at him puzzled.

"Take some of my blood, lover. You must have strength as well. We will be traveling far this evening, only to head back to the castle. We must make it in time. No stops along the way."

"Where are we going?" I asked, looking down at the blood oozing slowly.

"That is a discussion for later." He said in quite the stern voice. "It's not one I like to share as of yet. Now, please, drink before the wound heals."

I pursed my own lips for a moment, before leaning down and taking what he had offered. His blood flowed into my mouth as I sucked against the wound. It was a perplexed kind of thing, since his blood didn't taste bad at all. I would always cringe when I saw blood, but now I didn't. I guess I had just gotten used to it after a while.

And as his blood flowed into my mouth, gulp after gulp, I felt the healing powers that he had told me about once before. Vampire blood does not fix everything, not everything can be fixed, but it sure does take away little sores, and that's what it did with my body. I felt no pain or aches after I finished, and wiped the back of my hand across my lips to take away what had collected there. What surprised me though was when I lifted my hand, looked at the smeared blood, and licked it away. All I thought throughout that moment was that I didn't want to waste a drop. His blood—Eric's blood—was far too precious for that.

I looked up at that exact moment, to see Eric propped up with his right hand under his head, and looking at me with what looked to be mirth etched across his face, his lips. He was smiling fondly at me, and I got embarrassed, because I realized what I did then. I hid my face as I blushed, and laughed at myself, which Eric joined in. He pulled me closer to him, positioning my head perfectly on his chest, and began running the tips of his fingers down my spine.

My hands found their way to his side, and gently ran my own fingers against his skin. I repeated the motions until my hand found something smoother on his skin—something slightly dimpled into his skin. I stopped, feeling the skin once again, and realized I was touching what I saw earlier—his scar.

"Vampires can have scars?" I asked. I wanted to be sure, since I was so curious about it earlier.

"What?" He seemed perplexed by this.

I looked up to see his eyes half closed, and I knew he was tired. I would let him sleep, but I wanted to know this first. I ran my fingers against his side, indicating what I meant. Eric's eyes fell down to where I was touching, and he nodded.

"After being turned," He started, "vampires will never scar again. I got that before I was turned, Sookie."

"Oh," I nodded. "How—how did you get it? If you don't mind me asking."

"My sweet Sookie—always so curious," Eric sighed a laugh, but he said it so fondly that I didn't mind. "I got that when I had just come of age. Back in those days, once you reach maturity, you were to join the ranks as a warrior if you were a man. I was so confident and because I was the King's son, I had expectations I had to meet. We were at war with a small village that took some of our land after killing some of our own men, women, and children. These men that did the killing needed a place to camp before they were called into their own battle with another country not too far away. So they murdered our people when we offered them no place of stay. We did not want outsiders, with their own problems, co-existing with us on our land." He sighed once again, this time more deeply.

"Without much training, I went along to the battle without anyone knowing. I wanted them to feel the pain they had caused my people, but I shouldn't have. I should have listened to the leaders because I was still learning the tactics, but I was so sure I would be perfect. So, I went out onto the field, hiding behind some other men who had seen many more battles than I. I remember yelling with the men, raising my sword above my head as we rushed into the village, which was already being attacked heavily by us.

"I did quite well, at first. I rammed my sword through at least five men, killing them as they came after me, trying to end my own life. I had been proud of myself, because I thought I could not be touched. I had just slain five men. They fell at my feet and bled out. I believed, in that short amount of time, that I must be some kind of God, since I barely had training and yet, I could kill them all so effectively. I think it got to my head a bit.

"I noticed a younger boy in a corner, a little older than I, and I smirked in victory. I was positive I could take him, since he looked rather scrawny, and he had already been fatally wounded. His sword was limp in his hand. I had gone over to him, smiling in glory. I thought over and over again of how proud my father would have been of me that I hardly thought of anything else. I remember grabbing his ripped shirt and bringing him closer to my face before I punched him. The sound of his cheek bone shattering under my fist was like music to my ears. I laughed hard as he slumped up against the wall, raising my hands and shouting once again in victory." Eric paused, shaking his head.

"But I should have never taken my eyes off of the boy, because he brought up his sword and stabbed me. The pain—was more than anything I had ever experienced, and it hit me at once. The boy withdrew his sword, and slummed against the wall where he died, but I had been wounded deeply myself. I stumbled, gripping my side as if that would stop the blood from pouring from me. I grew dizzy, and everything around me spun as I fell to my knees. I remember I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I pulled off my helm." My eyes grew wide as I listened. "That was when one of the leaders noticed me, falling to the ground. I heard him shout, in our native tongue, that the King's son was wounded, and they had to retreat, but that was the last I heard as I passed out. The next thing I knew, I woke up in my home, with our doctor checking over my wounds, stitching my skin together, and cleaning the wound. My father had been furious, but he had been scared as well, and I was the cause of it. He had been afraid to lose his only son." Eric chuckled. "Don't look so frightened, Sookie. I lived for the time being."

"It's just…terrible, is all." I said. "You almost died."

"Yes, out of my own stupidity. I would have deserved that death. I had been careless."

"I'm glad you didn't." I told him, because I simply had to. I gripped him tighter and sighed. "I'm so glad you didn't."

Eric leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'm glad I didn't either."

A moment past before I smiled, trying to change the subject somewhat.

"So, you were royalty even in your human life."

"Yes." His answer sort of disturbed me, because he didn't sound happy about that—quite on the contrary, actually. "I was royal, even in my human life."

"You…didn't want to be? When you were human?"

"No, it's not that," He caught the questioning in my voice, and knew exactly what I was talking about—the way he spoke. "I was thinking about the vampire royalty that was bestowed me." He paused. "After I was turned, I learned of my heritage, and what I would be if my maker ever died. I never wanted it, you see. I hated it, and hated my maker for quite some time because of it. And, my maker wasn't a very great one to begin with. A lot of vampires and other Supernaturals were glad when he was killed. They wanted me to be King, ever since I became his protégé." Eric sat up in bed, and slumped against the back board with a heavy sigh. "I hated it. I hated every single bit of it, but I had no other choice in the matter. I couldn't _not_ accept the role that was placed on my head, because I was his first child; the first that shared his ancient blood. I had to, and for a long time, I was angry."

"How did you get over it?" I asked gently.

For the first time, he smiled. "I created my own child. Pamela helped me through a lot, and made me realize that I did not have to rule the way my own maker did. I could…change the world, in a way. I could be great. And though, I still don't want the rule, I have…_accepted_ it, and learned to be what I can be."

I smiled too. "I'm glad you found her then."

"Without her to begin with, I don't know where I'd be. So, I guess that is good. At least I've done my best. That is all I can really say on the subject, Sookie." He took my hand in his, and his eyes met mine. "No more questions for now, my love. I must sleep. The sun has risen, and I am very tired. Are you not?"

"No," I chuckled. "I'm not tired at all, actually."

He sighed, leaning over to kiss my forehead. "Promise me that you will at least attempt to sleep, even if it is only for a short while today."

I nodded, maneuvering my face to reach his lips with my own. I gave him a gentle peck before he sunk back into the sheets and closed his eyes. I watched for a moment, as peace and serenity lit his silent features. It was still eerie in a weird way. At this time, he was pretty much dead and looked dead as he laid before me, but I knew better, and I smiled. He was sleeping soundlessly, is all.

* * *

><p>I did end up falling asleep, even though I didn't feel tired. I woke up with an odd sensation; there was a light buzzing, tinkling sound in my ears, and it was bothersome—so bothersome that it woke me up quickly, and made me look around the room.<p>

It was dark, and I couldn't see anything, but the sound was so close. I was sure it was in the room somewhere. I rubbed my eyes and stood on my feet, shuffling slowly across the floor since I wasn't used to the layout. I bumped into something, and looked back toward where I had come. If I woke Eric from his sleep, I would have felt terrible—he was so tired. But he had not moved, or at least, I didn't think he did. I didn't hear him shift on the bed at all. So, I kept moving with my hands out in front of me, just in case I bumped into anything else that magically got in my way.

The ringing seemed to be louder from where I was, and I guessed at where I was standing. I felt something at the bottom my feet, and I decided that it was our pile of clothing that was discarded in our…escapades earlier.

Bending down, the sound got slightly louder, and then I saw something. It was a small light, blinking through the material on the floor. It was the only light source in the room. My brows furrowed as I grabbed the material—my pants. I reached into the pocket, where the light was pulsing, and pulled out the pages my grandmother had her magically written words on. Wow—what couldn't these parchments do? I mean, it wrote by itself, having magical ink, and now it was glowing. I blinked slowly, gripping the pages slightly tighter in my hands.

The last time I read what was written on these papers, I didn't like it very much. I was afraid to see what else could be on them, but curiosity is a damned thing, and it got the better of me. Since I knew slightly where I was in the room now, I slid around until I found the chair sitting in the corner of the room, after I put on my clothes. I got up on it, and reached for the candle I knew to be there on the stand next to it. I cursed under my breath as I tried to find matches to light it. I checked in the drawer and found the small box in the back right corner, next to what felt to be a book of some sort. I closed the drawer and lit the match, hurrying to light the candle. I blew the match out and laid it down as I turned to the papers.

I gulped, took a deep breath, and opened the folded parchment in my hands open, and began to read.

_Hello again, my dearest, _

_This is the hardest part in writing this letter. It's hard, since I knew what you did and gone through to get to this stage. If you didn't, then these words would not have shown up for you. _

_But, it has, and now I must tell you the full story. Oh, Sookie, I wish so much that I didn't have to be the one to tell you this, but, I knew it was always supposed to be me to tell you of what your destiny is. It had to be this way, though I know now that there is someone in your life that you would have wished to hear this from, but that is not the way it works. _

_To start with, this parchment was given to me by Fintan—your biological grandfather. He gave it to me the night you were born, and told me that before my death, I must write everything to you, to tell you everything that must be said, because you will have to make a decision yourself one day. _

_You see, he knew of your destiny when he saw you, in my arms after you were born. They came to the house, where you were born. _

_It was odd, because when he arrived, everything had gone still in the house. No one moved, and I looked around in horror. Jason, your mother, your father, and grandfather were all frozen—like wax figures. And Fintan wasn't alone when he arrived. Two other men and three women were with him and I had come to learn their names were Niall and Mr. Cataliades, but I wondered about the females, and only learned that they were witches of some sort, and they were very old. _

_They stood still, looking at me with the straightest faces that I have ever seen. I remember going to Fintan, smiling and showing him you. I said; "Look how beautiful she is!" He looked at you carefully, and I saw a small smile touch the corner of his lips, and I knew secretly that he was proud and happy to see you, just had he had been when Jason was born, but in that case, he didn't come with the other men. He replied softly, "What is her name?" And I told him proudly what your mother and father came up with, but he didn't speak after that, and the small smile fell from his face as Mr. Cataliades touched his shoulder and whispered something in his ear that I couldn't catch. It was in another language, and none that I could distinguish. _

_He had nodded, and held out his hands. I knew he wanted to take you from me, but Sookie, for the first time in all my years, I was afraid of him. I was afraid of him touching you. There was some sort of fright that tightened my heart, and I gripped you tighter to my chest. It might have been due to the fact that the other men and women were there with him, since it wasn't the same when Jason was born, or even your aunt and father came into the world. I don't know, but I soon came to find out. He told me to trust him, and that was the only reason I gave you over to him, but I shouldn't have. Oh, Sookie! I shouldn't have!_

_He laid you on the table, making sure that you had your blankets around you securely. Niall, Mr. Cataliades, and the witches stepped forward, and leaned over you. You were so quiet, and your eyes looked up at them with such clarity that I hadn't ever seen in a newborn baby. They began speaking in that language again, quickly and quietly. Niall touched your forehead and nodded, and then Mr. Cataliades did the same, but his eyes were closed and he began speaking, no, it sounded to be chanting something. Then, there was something twinkling above your head. It looked like small, twinkling stars. They swirled as he spoke, and by the time he finished, they fell onto your face. He whispered, "The Gift I have given you will come in handy. Telepathy." I didn't know what it meant, but I didn't think about that too much. I thought it might have burnt you in some way because you began crying softly. I tried to take you, but Fintan grabbed me, and held me back. _

_Mr. Cataliades' hands slid down to your small chest, right over your small heart and began chanting once more, but Niall and Fintan joined in, and so did the women. Cataliades other hand came up toward the ceiling, shifting and curling though the air—his hands matched the witches that were doing the same behind him. I watched in horror, such horror, as an object began to take form. It was different from the twinkling stars. It looked to be a trinket of sorts. It had been small, very small, but large enough for me to see it clearly from where I stood. And then, suddenly, he brought it down onto you with such force that I screamed so loud. I thought he hurt you, and that was when you began to scream and wail as well. I was afraid, so very afraid that he had hurt you to the point of no return. I broke free from Fintan and ran to you, picking you up and throwing myself into the corner nearest to me. I yelled, and screamed, but I didn't look at you. No, I was too focused on them. I was afraid of what they were here to do. _

_Fintan followed me, stepping closer and closer to where I stood holding you so tightly to me, but my shrieking still didn't stop as he tried to plead with me. "She isn't hurt!" He yelled over top of my voice. "I promise you, Adele, she is not hurt! What was done had to be done. I am so sorry, so very sorry!" Fintan spoke that over and over again, begging me to look at you—since you already stopped crying, and finally, I took my eyes off of them when they made no advance to come toward me. _

_I peered down at you to see that you had fallen asleep so peacefully in my arms, even though I had been yelling louder than I had ever yelled. The fear started to drain from me, but it was still hidden there, since I could not forget what they did to you. _

_He began to explain what had happened, what had to have been done. _

_I cannot tell you how many tears fell from my eyes, or how much I wept over the years, knowing this secret, and knowing I had been the cause. I was the reason, because I had been with him romantically. I was ultimately the reason you had such a burden placed upon your shoulders at such a young age, Sookie. I cannot apologize to you, and be able to say it enough to actually forgive myself, but in the same instance, I am glad you are here. It's a twist of fate, and one I cannot hate and yet, truly be happy about. _

_The object—the object he went on and on about, that it seemed burned into my brain, into my skull by the time he was done explaining everything to me. I was in shock, numbly holding you tightly as we shifted to the living room. I needed to sit down, but I wouldn't let you go. Fintan—though I didn't want him to touch me any longer—pulled me into the living room and sat me down on the couch. The others followed us, and the eldest woman began to speak. _

_I learned everything in that short amount of time as she spoke of what she knew, and what was placed upon you. This is her exact words, and…I remembered them so clearly. I could recite them just as I could recite my most favorite book. _

"_Sookie has the Essential Spark within her, she was destined a long time ago to be born, and have the greatest and most terrifying destiny of all of her kind. The item placed within your Granddaughter's heart is called a Cluviel Dor. It is a trinket of power, meant as a love trinket. But in small Sookie's place, it is something more and we had to alter it. It was essential to do this, to hide her from those who would try to steal her power for their own greater gain. We knew this day would come, and it is finally here. And we had to prepare for the time she will leave this world all together, to see a new one. Your granddaughter holds the fate of our world in her tiny little heart, Adele Stackhouse. _

"_She is the key, her heart is the key, and in hiding it within her, we hope to give her time to decide what needs to be decided. She will face many, many challenges and ones that even I have a hard time telling you, for it is…wicked, and corruptive."_

_She went on explaining of what it is, but I need to tell you the rest in my own words, and these next words will be harder for you to read. Continue, you must, Sookie. There is no more pleading, you must read the rest. There is no stopping now, don't even put this down at all. Continue. _

_You were always meant to go to this other world, the one you are in now. And you were always meant to meet the Vampire King. Sookie, when you told me that night that you had a fondness for the Vampire King after I had told you the tale, I was…disgusted. Not at you, my dearest. At the idea that you felt such a way toward someone that would ultimately harm you in the end, one way or another. _

_Sookie, you are the fairy of the prophecy. You are her, and in me telling you this, then you probably know what the Vampire King had planned on doing to you—end your life, so they can get back to earth. But there is more! _

_In giving yourself fully to him, he has taken more than your purity. I know it has been done. I know what you have lost, because if you didn't, you wouldn't be reading this. And I also know that by giving yourself to him, that you are in love with him. _

_By giving yourself to him, you gave him what he needed to give him the advantage! Your Fae powers have fully activated now, and he can now do as he wishes to you. He has one wish, but the way he gets his wish is if he betrays you, and in doing so, he will kill you. He will rip the Cluviel Dor from your heart, and then he can come back to Earth to do as he will to the human race, which scorned him and his people so long ago—banished them to that other world. He will be free, just as the rest of the Supernaturals will. _

_Oh, God! I am so sorry, Sookie, that you had this destiny. And I hate myself that I couldn't tell you this. It is something you had to do on your own, and I wish you didn't! I wish you wouldn't have fallen in love with him, and gave him your most precious gift. _

_He hasn't told you, has he? He has not told you of what you are, and by not telling you who you are, he has not told you of what will become of your future. He is sly, Sookie. He is a vampire, and I detest him! He has betrayed you, Sookie. You must be so confused, but there is no time for confusion!_

_You must save yourself, my darling! There is a way, and now that you know of your future, you can decide what to do. Your destiny can be taken into your own hands! The witches told me this, and that was the only thing keeping me strong, knowing that you could be alright in the end!_

_Read carefully, Sookie:_

_You can return to Earth alone, in one piece, and it will be like nothing ever happened. You will forget it completely and there will be no heart ache, which I know you are feeling now. And the way to do this, the way for you to be free, is that you must kill the Vampire King before he kills you. _

_Make it swift, and then you can return. I promise you, Sookie, you will not remember a thing. Do not be frightened, my darling. Please, Sookie, I know I don't deserve anything, but please, protect yourself from your own end! _

_I love you, my dearest. I love you so very much._

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><p>The end cut off there, with no more words anywhere.<p>

My body shook, trembled more than it ever had before. My head spun, my stomach churned. I felt like I was going to be sick. I stood suddenly, the papers falling from my hands, but I heard a louder thunk on the ground, but I wasn't paying attention.

My head hurt, and tears burned my eyes more than they ever had before. My hands flew to my mouth as a sob broke through.

I was…the fairy? Me? No, no, no, NO! I—I couldn't be! Oh my God!

I tried to step, but I couldn't move. I was frozen to where I stood.

The sadness came first, until I felt as though I would die right there and then. But that soon faded into a darker emotion, and one that I had never truly felt before, and that was hatred. Betrayal was strong in my heart, so much that I was sure I was pulsing with anger that I have never felt before.

The tears fell wildly. I had been scorned.

Eric—Eric lied to me. He—he _knew_! He knew who I was and he didn't tell me! He—he _betrayed_ me!

The tears fell from my eyes hot and heavily, because the sadness swelled up just as high as the betrayal had.

I looked upon the bed. The candle gave enough lighting in the room to see Eric's motionless silhouette lying there. Half of his torso uncovered by the sheets that we were wrapped up in not so long ago. The memories flooded back to me, of what exactly I had given up.

I lost my virginity to the man that wanted the fairy—_me_—dead. He hated her, he told me before that he was going to end her life, and now that I knew it was me…

I fell to my knees, a wave of sickness boiled up until I dry heaved on the floor. I gripped the carpet within my fingers, and shut my eyes tight, as if that would will away all that I had done. How could he…? He said he loved me, as much as I loved him.

But that was a lie. He used me. He fucking used me!

I don't know how long I trembled on the floor, fighting back emotion after emotion, and wave of fear and sickness that came to me. My head and heart pounded in synchronization, fast and so painfully. What—what should I do now? Die?

No!

A powerful and strong side of me began to slowly take over. My body was hot, I felt like I was on fire. I looked down to see that my hands were glowing gently. It calmed me in a way, and I started to think straight.

It was true. That was why I had these weird light powers. It's how I saved myself from the vampires before. Why had I been so stupid to not see these signs? I guess—I guess I didn't want to see them, and it was hard to anyway. The power of the Fae had been hidden within me by the trinket held inside my heart.

It was there—I could feel it, pumping and moving within my heart as it beat. Oddly, it seemed to burn my heart, scorch it from the inside.

_You must kill the Vampire King before he kills you. _

My head snapped up at the thought. K-Kill Eric? H-How? No, no I couldn't!

_But you must. To save yourself, you must kill him. Do you want to die?_

My own thoughts, my own voice went along with the words!

But it was true all the same. I didn't want to die, die because the creature I loved betrayed me more deeply than I had ever been betrayed before.

Numbly and blindly, my hand found what had made such a noise earlier. I gripped the item in my hand tightly, and stood to my feet.

I wasn't in full control of my body, I realized. I was doing these actions without knowing I was. I tried to stop, I tried to force myself to drop the item which I now identified in my hand—a stake. It had fallen from the parchment papers.

Instinct…pure instinct; survival of the fittest was what kept me moving, because I didn't want to die. I just knew I wanted to go home, and never remember this; never remember this pain and heartache. Slowly, I moved across the room, walking toward the bed where the Vampire King laid motionless.

It was like I was seeing everything with new eyes.

The candle flickered wildly, casting scary shadows across the room, dark and glooming, and watching every step I took. A hellish thing to realize what I was going to do, without being able to stop my actions.

Fear crept deeply within me, sinking all the way into my bones, but still I walked on until I was at the edge of the bed.

The wind howled outside, so loud that I should have noticed it earlier. Howling, crying for me, because I could not do it on my own. The pain, fear, hatred, and sadness would not allow me to do such a thing.

I sunk onto the bed, crawling up until I straddled Eric. I looked at him carefully, seeing just how peaceful his features were. I thought they were so beautiful before, but now I was looking into it more. That peaceful face must only be there because he got what he wanted, what he was aiming for.

My hand lifted above my head, with the stake in place and pointing down upon his chest.

_Make it swift…_

Those words, I could hear them so clearly in my mind—my Gran's voice urging me to just get it over with.

Tears brimmed again, so much that it seemed to blind me from perfect vision of his face, and his…_sickening_ serenity.

Blinking, the tears fell down, onto his bare chest, but he still didn't move. Still did not realize what I was about to do. My hand started to descend slowly.

"Sookie…"

I gasped at his mumbling voice, and my hand stopped from descending, but trembled on. My eyes grew wide as I looked down on his still peaceful face, but something was different. He smiled gently, fondly, _lovingly_. And my name, which slipped from his mouth, even in the deadest sleep, was spoken so lovingly.

_No, he—he can't love me! It's a lie! I-I know it is!_

But it didn't stop me from believing his words, because deep inside, I wanted them to be true. I wanted him to love me, and want to be with me, but…if he truly did, why hadn't he told me? Why would he keep my identity from me?

Maybe…maybe he wanted to find a different way?

I shook my head at my silly thoughts. I couldn't think that way. I knew what Gran had written, and I knew them to be true! It had to be true, and this was the only way…

My hand rose higher once more, trembling so hard that my whole body shook on top of Eric. I gulped back the bile that reached the back of my tongue, and closed my eyes tightly—tears springing forth and falling down my cheeks.

And then my hand descended on its own accord; swiftly, quickly, just as my Gran had told me to do.

But behind my closed lids, I saw the memories of us making love once more. It was clearer than before. Each caress, each kiss, the loving words, and how he showed me our bond together when we were connected before he fell asleep. I had…just _known_ it to be true too. I remember that…once, I believed I wouldn't want to live if Eric didn't exist.

_You are the only one for me…_

"No!" I screamed wildly, loudly.

My hand came to a sudden stop. The point of the stake only two inches above Eric's un-beating heart. I shook like crazy.

Oh my God. I had almost done it. I had almost ended Eric…

But the truth of the matter was, was that I couldn't do it. No matter what, I loved him far too much to end him, even if that meant I would die. I realized that at the last second.

And though I was able to stop, I hated myself. I was disgusted with that I almost did.

"I'm so sorry," I cried. "Eric…I…"

But I never got to finish, because in that second, Eric's eyes opened lazily, groggily. Out of pure coincidence, he woke from his dead slumber. He blinked once, slowly, and then he caught sight of the stake, merely inches from his chest.

With a wild growl, so fierce and so loud, we were airborne. We flew through the air until my back slammed into the wall behind us, cracking it with great force. It was so strong that it knocked the picture off the wall, and the glass shattered around us. Everything in the room shook.

I let forth a strangled yelp. My airways had been cut off by Eric's strong hand, wrapped around my neck in a death grip. I thrashed, wrapping my hands around Eric's, trying to take in air. I began kicking wildly because I was being held off of the ground.

My terror filled eyes fell to his wild ones. It was like he didn't even see me, see who I was. His top lip curled back, his fangs fully descended, and they were not an inch away from me, snapping. He hissed and growled madly, all the while gripping my throat tighter.

I realized that he was far too gone to notice me. Instinct took over, just like it had me moments ago.

The difference was, was that I didn't think he would stop, like I had been able to, until I was already dead.

And to be honest, I truly believed I deserved to die. I had betrayed him, just as much as he did me.


	27. No trust

**Author's Notes: **

So, hello again, readers! I'm pretty surprised at myself for how quickly I was able to write this. I guess all your warm wishes, and 'good lucks' helped me in bringing out this chapter! Yay!

Didn't look over the chapter itself too much. Though it isn't as great as I wanted it to be, I'm satisfied with it, and I hope you are too, even if there are a few mistakes. ;)

Much love and many, many thanks! You ladies are the best, I hope you know.

XOXO—SharaMoon

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

**ALSO:** Sorry for the many updates for this chapter you'll see in your email inbox. Once again, fanfiction isn't working correctly for me, and it kept copying half of the chapter instead of the whole thing. :/

* * *

><p>Though I felt like I should die by his hand for the acts that I almost committed today, my body still fought against his ever tightening grip. I still grasped his hands as if to pull him off, I still kicked as if I had a fighting chance to somehow break free, and I still struggled to breathe, even if I didn't get much oxygen into my lungs anyway.<p>

My head felt fuzzy, and my vision began to take on a wispy effect. My lungs seemed to burn, and my body ached. From where the glass shattered over us, it cut into my skin, and the sting of that was somehow forefront on my mind.

All the while, he still snarled in my face, and his fangs kept inching their way closer and closer until I was sure he would bite me at any place he could reach—which would have been my nose—at any moment.

We were eye level, but the beast that looked back into my own was frightening—more frightening than I ever imagined he could ever be. It wasn't him, it couldn't be him, my mind tried to reason, but it was him. He just didn't recognize me is all.

The pain in my throat heightened as I heard something pop. I was sure that wasn't good. I even had a faint image of him just ripping my head clean from my body, just by him tightening his grip ever so more.

Instinct began to win over my moral thoughts—my thoughts that I should die for what I had almost done. Instinct wouldn't let me do such a thing.

Vampires and fairies were mortal enemies from what I gathered. As luring as the Fae blood is to a vampire, they still hate each other. It was in their nature to fear each other, because both separately were strong. Where fear begins, it leads into hatred, and into thoughts that the other race must be destroyed before they can destroy you, and that was what my Fae blood—even as little as I had in me—screamed from within.

Silly—I reasoned with myself. It is rather silly to hate and fear someone out of prejudice. Hate and fear vampires because of things that happened in the past that had nothing to do with me exactly. How could I hate Eric? I loved him more dearly than I loved anything in this world, and yet, my mind told me still that he was the enemy. Was it my blood making me think of such things? Was it my heritage? Or was it because he frightened me to the point that I wanted to get away as quickly as possible? I wasn't sure about any of that.

But I had forgotten. Eric had been there in the past. He was there when the Fae mingled with the humans, and started the war. He was the vampire leader back then, that had been hurdled through the portal because they had all been exposed because of that stupid war. Truly, I could understand why he would hate me, hate the Fae, but…in the end it wasn't just the fairies fault. The vampires started the war, leading to exposure, just as much as the fairies did. The Fae did wrong, yes, but so did the vampires, and…I could only think that it was some bad mistake, on both parts. They chose the fate themselves. I wished more than anything that somehow I could change that.

I closed my eyes tightly as his gripped tightened to the point that my airways were completely shut out. No longer could I take in air, and that was when my Fae blood overtook me in the heat of survival. My body felt hotter, hotter than hot, and I knew what was coming.

I tried to cry out, tried to tell Eric to move, but I had no air, and that meant I had no voice to do so. I forced myself to regain control, but it wasn't nearly as much as I needed. I didn't want to hurt him, but it was like my body wouldn't listen. It just wanted to get him _off_.

Every thought I just had happened in a matter of seconds, and it only took a few more moments for my body to charge enough.

In a matter of seconds, my body burst. Blinding light engulfed the room for just a second. Eric's hand lessened until it was completely gone, and then my scream made it from my mouth—so loud, a blood curdling scream as I watched him fly across the room and slam into the wall behind us.

But I couldn't see him. The light faded as quickly as it had come.

My body shook from the power that had been so great, and I felt immensely tired, but I still made my body move. I forgot about the throbbing pain in my throat, forgot about the intense dizziness that overtook me from blood circulating back up into my brain.

I stumbled and tripped over myself, my hands collecting glass shards and embedding the fragments into my skin as I crawled across the floor to find him.

"Eric," I whispered roughly because I simply couldn't be any louder. It hurt to speak.

Fear overtook me when I didn't hear a response. It laced around my heart, gripping and squeezing the wildly beating artery.

I couldn't see him, and that is what worried me the most. I couldn't find him on the ground, and that terrified me. The room wasn't very big shouldn't I have reached him by now?

Images of the vampires that had been burnt by my light that one night assaulted my frantic mind. I had burnt them badly, so very badly, and yet, I couldn't help but think that the power that just came out of me was much, much stronger than that had been, even if it was only a second or two. Fae light could kill a vampire—vaporize them. I was sure of it. It was exactly like the sun, as bright and harsh to a vampire.

Finally, I felt cool skin, and that calmed me. But that only lasted a moment.

As I touched the skin, and moved up slightly, I felt something thick and sticky between my fingers, much more than my hand started off to be.

Tears fell from my eyes again as I stood and raced toward the light switch for the room. I was too worried to crawl. I tripped and fell, but continued to search for the light switch that was by the main entrance into the room. I found the door quickly, and forced my aching body to stand once more. I fumbled the light switch a few times before I finally was able to turn it on.

And the first thing I saw made me stumble into the wall behind me, and then slide down to the floor. Bloody handprints were caked onto the pristine white wall in front of me, and overtop of the light switch itself. I watched as it slowly dripped and glided down the wall.

I knew it was much more than my own blood from the glass shards in my hands. There was simply too much on that wall to just be my own.

I slid against the floor because I knew I wouldn't be able to stand even if I tried. I pulled myself along the carpet before getting close to the edge of the wall that peered inside the room, and as soon as I turned the corner, I would see him. I was petrified of what I would see, of what my light had caused. The blood had been evident that he was hurt to some extent, I just didn't know what, and I didn't really want to see, but I had to.

I peered around the corner, shaking fiercely, and what I saw could have made me scream. I scrambled across the floor and grasped his face in my hands as quickly as I could.

His arms, chest, legs, and face looked as though he had been heavily burnt. His skin was peeled back in places, so much that you could see the tissue below. The skin had been scorched in places, and blackened dead skin. If I touched it, I would bet anything that the burnt skin would flake away like ash. He also bled heavily from the wounds. It stained the carpet below him, and he was caked in it in different places. He was in bad shape, very bad shape, and I was the one that caused it.

"Eric," I said roughly, but urgently. There was no response, and it wasn't like I could check for a heartbeat, like in a normal situation. He was a vampire, normal wasn't in his vocabulary. I grasped his relatively un-burnt skin on his neck. Delicately placing my hands, I shook him, and still no response. "P—Please, Eric…please be alright." My voice grew panicky.

But there was never any indication that he was in fact alright. He didn't speak, his eyes were closed, his fangs had receded, and his body was limp—as if he were truly dead. But that—that couldn't be! I couldn't have! Please…no…no.

I shook him again, more roughly this time, as if that would somehow work, but it didn't. There was no change in his condition. Small sobs broke free from my mouth as I shook him again, and again, crying out his name, begging him to come back to me—to open his eyes. It didn't happen.

I slumped back, breaking out in a wail as I covered my hands over my face to hide the horror that I believed I had just done. My light must have…

I shook my head. No, he wasn't going to die on me! I wasn't going to be the cause of his Final Death. It wasn't meant to be like this. No matter what anyone said, no matter what was written on that letter my I inherited from Gran, I didn't believe this was how it was supposed to end. I loved him, and he loved me. No one can choose your destiny for you. You chose your own destiny, and it was time I take that knowledge and put it to good use.

I grabbed a larger shard of glass off of the ground five inches away from me, brought it to my wrist, and cut. I went a bit deeper than I had planned, but I guess that was a good thing. He would need blood to repair him. Blood was life essence, and since he was a vampire, it would help him, right? It had to.

I brought it to his lips hurriedly, and forced his mouth open.

"Drink, please, please, Eric, drink." I whispered over and over. "God, please, drink!" There was no stir, and the blood seemed to just pour from his mouth and down his chin. "No!" I hollered, pushing my wrist further into his mouth, and with the other hand, propping his head back slightly. Maybe if I tilted his head, the blood would just slide down his throat.

I almost gave up after what felt like hours, until his lip twitched below my skin. I gasped, but couldn't speak after that because there was a giant bang against the door, and then the door itself came flying through the room. It smashed against the floor after colliding with the stand.

I turned my head quickly to see Pam come barreling in, yelling, "Eric! What's wrong—"

But she had caught sight of the situation, and I watched as a mask of horror flooded her features until that horror dissolved into something more frightening, sinister.

"Pam—" I started only to be cut off.

"What. Have. You. Done!" She screamed.

Eric had been idly drinking now, but I hadn't noticed. I hadn't noticed that his eyes opened slightly, a vision of delusion etched in his pupils. He was out of it, but was alive, and I hadn't taken notice to it at first.

No, my eyes were on Pam, who took two careful, calculating steps toward me. Her fangs had descended, and she looked as though she was going to kill me. She had been dangerous in the past. I literally saw her rip into a vampire's chest!

But I had no place to go, being trapped between Eric and Pam. I wouldn't pull my arm away from Eric's lips in a ditch effort to get away. As soon as she got to me as closely as she possibly could, she grabbed my shoulder tightly in her hand, as if to rip me away from her maker, and in doing so, almost shattering my shoulder with her hand.

She had stopped adding pressure as a new sound entered the room—another deep, guttural growl. It had been a warning for her to release me, and I could understand it clearly. As the growl erupted throughout the room, Eric's cool fingers found their way around my arm, bringing my wound closer to his lips, and I felt his fangs push into my skin. I bit my lip, and closed my eyes tightly. It had hurt badly. Eric wasn't trying to be easy on me. He needed the blood, and there was no time for him to relax me into it. I hoped…desperately hoped that was the reason, at least.

Pam's hand never left my shoulder, but she stopped trying to crush it. There was still a mighty grasp, as if to pull me away if I hurt him again.

"Eric," I tried to whisper to him. "I'm so sorry."

His eyes, that were still droopy, opened more and met mine. I couldn't distinguish what emotion was in those blue eyes of his. I simply couldn't tell, and the bond had been long closed, from either me or him, I wasn't sure, and I didn't know how to open it again.

Eric's eyes never swayed from mine as he drank his fill, biting every now and again. I always winced. I couldn't help it. But, he looked much better, I noticed after looking over him with a quick glance. His skin began mending on its own, coming together and healing as he took more and more blood—so much that I wasn't sure he was going to stop, but he _looked_ in control.

The last to heal was his face, the burnt flesh turning new once more under my watch. It was magical to see, and then I realized I had been the reason why I was watching this. I shouldn't have felt a single shred of fascination over it.

When he was done, he let go of my arm and pulled his mouth away. My hand fell like a dead weight onto his lower stomach, and I was quick to pull it back and look. My skin had been healed as well; making me believe that he punctured his own lips and let his blood mingle in mine as he drank. I was still in bad shape though. The only thing that healed was my wrist from where I cut. The shards in my hands were still there, and I could feel them all of a sudden. The numbness began to fade.

"Leave," He whispered, and I had never heard his voice so weak before.

His eyes met Pam, so I knew he was talking to her.

"But—" She protested, but shut up as quickly as she started.

I watched her fight with herself for a second, probably contemplating what she should do, but in the end, she turned and left the room, grabbing the door as she went. I heard a slight bang. She probably propped up the door someway. To be honest, I really didn't care.

Minutes passed, and still neither of us spoke. But he moved, grabbing the wall for support to pull himself to his feet.

Without warning, he grabbed my wrist again and pulled me to the bed. I sat quietly, not daring to speak, because I didn't know where to start, and I still didn't know what he was thinking. Anger swelled within me, because he seemed to be so calm. I almost killed him, I learned everything, and yet, he was acting like nothing was wrong—or at least, he wasn't letting it show yet.

He stood and walked into the bathroom at such a slow pace, grabbing his pants on the floor as he went. He returned clothed with what looked to be a black bottle, and tweezers in his hands. As he sat, he grabbed my hand and pulled it into his own before pouring a small portion of the contents of the bottle onto my hand. I winced, before watching foam begin to form on the surface of my skin, around the cuts. Peroxide; definitely peroxide.

Eric began to pull the glass shards from my fingers and palm, before switching to the other hand. I sat quietly, somehow feeling defeated. I was angry, and yet, incredibly sad. I didn't understand why neither of those feelings outweighed each other. They just coexisted inside of me, equally, and pulled me under into a great depression that I've never felt before.

I still waited for him to speak, but when he finished my hands, he simply stood and walked away from me. I watched with my mouth slightly ajar. He—He wasn't going to say anything? No, that isn't healthy, for either of us. I was sure that if he didn't speak, I would drown in my own self-pity.

I had to speak first then. I squared my shoulders.

"I almost killed you," I started, "twice."

A few moments ticked by before his weak voice came back to me. I couldn't see his face, his back was to me.

"I'm aware."

"You lied to me." A single tear slipped from my eye.

"And I realize that is why you attacked me."

Anger seared me, burned me deeply, and I stood to my feet. I wasn't sure what I was doing.

"And that is okay? That I nearly killed you? That you lied to me? That you _used_ me, Eric?"

"What do you want me to say to you, Sookie?" His voice was slightly louder, and a growl lingered in his words. "That I knew you were the fairy? That I did lie to you, and that I fucked you for my own gain?"

I gasped and stepped back. "You—" He cut me off.

"Because you would be incredibly wrong on the last part, and that alone would prove how little faith you have in me." He whispered. "But I guess we learned that when you tried to kill me, regardless."

"You still lied to me!" I screamed. "You did use me! You could have told me!"

"You're grasping at straws, Sookie Stackhouse." Eric said, turning around. "Yes, I lied to you, but it was for the fact that I could not tell you before we had sex. I simply wasn't allowed to. Do you not think I hated that? That I had to let fate run its course?" He laughed a dry, harsh laugh. "But saying that I used you is below the belt. What we did, it meant everything to me. You had gotten under my skin, I fell in love with you, and everything we shared in that bed was the truth from me! But tell me, what led you to try to kill me? Hmm? I don't see how even if you pieced everything together on your own, that you would come to the conclusion to end my long life. It didn't seem to be in your nature alone to be so scorned to want to kill."

My eyes fell to the letter on the floor, and his eyes followed. I watched as his eyebrows rose before he walked over and picked it up. I wasn't sure if I wanted him to read it, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Eric read over it before he shook his head and laughed dryly again. "It seems as though these witches lied to your Grandmother, Sookie. They just wanted me gone. If you had killed me, you wouldn't have gone back to Earth all alone as they spoke to her. If your Grandmother knew that, then maybe she wouldn't have been so forthcoming of begging you to kill me. She's gullible."

"D-Don't speak that way about my Gran!" I hissed, grabbing the papers from his hands. My head spun at what he told me. If I had killed him, nothing would have happened. I might not have believed him, if he didn't sound so sure when he laughed. "She was a great woman that just wanted the best for me."

"I see." He looked at me. "Do you always follow everything she says too?"

I turned away. "Why?"

"Why, what?" He asked lightly, and I could almost say mockingly.

"Why didn't you tell me, Eric? If—if you love me as much as you say you do, why didn't you?"

"I've told you, I couldn't. Apparently, the only person that could was your precious Grandmother. A long time ago, I learned of the details." He told me. "I learned that I must sleep with you, without you knowing to go about the destiny."

"You did use me then."

"No, not really," He whispered. "It was always the way it was meant to go. And in doing so, I opened more than one option here."

"What?" I laughed a sob. "To kill me when you find it amusing enough for you? If so, then just end me right here and now."

He snarled, angry now. "Dearest Sookie, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done so as soon as we had sex! But I didn't! Maybe you should stop acting so righteous because you are not so innocent in this either." He stepped forward and grabbed my arm. "I may have lied to you, but I have not tried to_ kill_ you."

That shut me up, and I pulled myself away from him. He was right.

"I've apologized." I cried.

"And I have accepted, obviously." He spoke. "If I didn't, you would be dead of the floor, and I would have a one way ticket back to Earth."

"So what are you going to do with me now?" I trembled at his words. _I hated myself_.

"What I had always planned on, as soon as I knew that I loved you."

"And what is that?" I turned around to see that he was only inches away from me.

I yelped and started to fall backward, but his arms caught me.

"I am going to find a way to save you from this destiny."

I gasped, and turned away from his eyes. Fresh tears fell heavily. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"I don't deserve it, Eric…"

"That is one beauty of being me, Sookie," He spoke. "I don't care what anyone thinks, even you."

His arms fell away from me, and I slumped on the bed, and covered my hands over my face. I was so ashamed.

"Why are you being so nice?" I asked timidly.

"Who says I'm being nice?" He replied. "I am doing what I decided on my _own_, with _no one's_ help. And once I make up my mind, I don't change it often."

"Eric…I'm so sorry..." I cried, attempting to stand.

"Don't," Eric's voice was harsh when he spoke. He held up his hand in front of me. "As of right now, I don't want you near me. Though, I am sure you won't attempt to kill me again, I still won't take the chance while I rest for the few remaining daylight hours." And when I thought it couldn't get any worse, his eyes met mine with great sadness. "I love you, but I can't trust you."

"That," I choked, "that isn't fair, Eric!"

He shook his head slowly. "And I am sure that you feel the same way, Sookie. Look deep inside yourself, and tell me that you trust me with your whole heart. If you can do it, then I shall stay in this room."

I took a step back. Was what he said…_true_?

No, no…I trusted him!

_D-Didn't I?_

Images of his betrayal, of my betrayal, of knowing everything came back to me, and then I realized that I couldn't be totally sure that I did trust him with my full heart, even though I desperately wanted to. My blood and mind screamed to me, still, that he was a danger to me, and that he should be eliminated, even if I wouldn't act on that impulse.

I held my head down in shame, and that alone was his answer.

"Instinct is a powerful thing, and something that both of us need to work on and get under control, to be able to move forward, it seems." For a few seconds after that, he was quiet. Then he said, "I shall go rest with Pam for the remainder of the day. By tonight we will leave to go see Mae."

I choked on a sob, and stood as if to go after him, but stopped suddenly. I couldn't go to him, because I knew he was right. That we needed this space.

He stopped at the broken door, and pulled it open. The hallway was pitch black, making him able to move outside into it without worrying about the sunlight still. He stopped though, and looked over his shoulder.

"You will be safe in this room by yourself for the remainder of the day. Just don't leave it." Eric said, meeting my eyes.

Eric I—" _I do love you_. It was what I wanted to say, but felt so inappropriate right now. I shouldn't even be allowed to say it.

"I know." He surprised me by answering, somehow knowing what I was going to say. "And no matter what, even if I wanted it to, that would never change, Sookie. I'm in too deep, but not deep enough to know that this is needed." He whispered gently. "Now, rest."

Then he was gone, pulling the door back into the jam with a slam.

And I was left in this broken room alone, feeling so very broken myself. It seemed disturbingly fitting.


	28. The Meat Feeders

**Author's Notes:** Hello dear and faithful readers!

I am so very sorry that it's taken so long to get out this chapter. I had no excuse other than time has gotten the better of me as of late. I've been meaning to write and write and write some more. Here and there I would get a little bit written out and then just stopped. Hopefully, that will change, because for the first time in a really, really long time, I had an urge to write and I did!

*cheers*

And hopefully, ALL of my stories will follow after this one. I want to get back into writing, I desperately want to. I just need a bit more inspiration to get me there!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy what I have. :) I've missed you all so very much!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>My body trembled violently as I stared in a trance at the closed door that Eric had just shut. He shut me out of his world, is exactly what it felt like. I've lost what I had with him.<p>

Things will never, _ever_ be the same, will they? How could they be?

My hand fell to the desk for some support, only to be jerked back when a sudden, intense pain throbbed away in my palm. The shards had all been removed, but the cuts still lingered. He hadn't healed them, which led me to believe he had done it on purpose. He healed my wrist, because I probably cut too deep and would have bled heavily, but these small cuts were still there. In my mind they held a purpose. They proved that everything that just happened was real and that he was so angry with me that he felt no need or want to heal me. I deserved a small form of pain.

Could I be wrong? Yes. I usually am.

But, it didn't matter. All I knew was that I had pain in my palms and an even more crippling pain in my heart that wanted to literally scorch me alive.

There was nothing to do but wait. Wait for Eric to come back in a few hours, and then to leave this hotel. I don't even know where we'd go. He said he wants to save me. He said he is going to find a way. Maybe there is one, but my mind at the moment is drawing up blanks as to how that could even be possible.

I couldn't even focus on it, let alone care about it. Who cared anymore? I definitely didn't. I don't deserve his kindness, or his…._devotion_ to somehow keep me alive. My breed—fairies—are the reason he is in this mess. My bloodline was the reason he came to loath everything. And now, he acts on absolute love and I ended up throwing it in his face.

Am I really no better than the Fae population before me? With my acts tonight, and the fact that I can't seem to trust him the way I want to, just makes it all the more plausible that I am exactly like the Fae who banished the rest of the Supernaturals to this world while they lived free on Earth and their own realm.

That idea must have scorned Eric so much-knowing that the fairies would not be joining him and his followers into the portal to Symperia. It must have eaten away at him for hundreds of years. Fae were also a reason why the Supes were figured out—they started it—and even I could understand why Eric hates them so much. It doesn't seem fair.

In the same sense, I can understand the Fae point of view of wanting to mingle with humans…to feel humanity and to be happy, to maybe, feel like a human. It was a double ended sword, with no winner when the fighting stopped. The Fae began to die out, because they lost so many. The other Supernaturals had to live on in a world much different from the one they were born in, thrived in,—and in vampires' case—died in, with a greater threat on the horizon; the Black Hole.

The war; the war; the fucking_ war_! It should have never happened!

But I cannot change the past. As much as I wish I could, that just isn't an option.

What _can_ I do?

I know the fate that is supposed to be for the fairy—for _me. _Eric would betray me, get what he wants, and return to Earth. But he wants to save me; a girl with some Fae blood in her, that determines the life for so many people in this world. He wants to preserve the life of a creature that he hates; all because he loves me. He_ loves_ me.

I don't think I've really understood until now how much he is willing to do for me. And I _threw it in his face_. I'm just like them—no, I'm _worse_ than the fairies. I almost killed the person I love most, twice in one night.

And it finally happened. My legs gave out on me, and I crumpled to the floor.

I've never felt so vulnerable and small in my life. Even through the teasing I got from loving fairytales when I was in high school, to the fights I always got beat up in because of it, I've never felt so insignificant or more alone. I'm damned. It's the only way I can look at it.

How could he still love me?

And through his love, his willingness to find a way to save me, I realize I have nothing left to offer him. _As if I had anything to offer such a man to begin with_. There is simply no way I can tell him how sorry I am. There is no way to prove that I would do anything for him. I threw my chances out the window when I first picked up that damn stake.

* * *

><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

I could feel her strongly though the barriers between our bond held strong. It's as if we are tied on a much different level—a more powerful one— where no matter what, her emotions still leaked through and almost suffocated me.

She's upset and angry with herself. There is so much self-hatred brewing within her that it cuts me deeply like a knife burrowing its way into my flesh, and leaving open, gaping, angry wounds. The only difference is that it is not a clean stab, which is much less painful. The pain I feel now is as if that knife is twisting and turning as it goes deeper and deeper into my body and there is no end to the pain.

But I ignored it the best I could. There is nothing I can do for her at the moment. I have no words of comfort. I'm not willing to go to her and tell her that it's alright, when it clearly is not.

It's definitely something that gets burned into your mind when you see a hand holding an object that could kill you instantly, and when you react on it instinctively to preserve your own life, you come to find the beautiful eyes of your lover staring back at you, and that she was the one holding the deadly weapon in her dainty, quivering little hands in the first place. She didn't even need the weapon. Her power alone had the strength to kill me. Thankfully, she didn't use her full effort.

I ran my hand through my hair before running it hard across my face. My nails catch the skin as if to tear the flesh from my features. If there is pain involved, I might have considered doing just that. Anything…_anything_ to take front and center over Sookie's emotions clouding my mind would be wonderful. I doubted that the pain that, that would cause could even amount to the ever building guilt and anguish rising through the bond. My hand fell slack against my side before lifting once more to open the door to Pam's room.

No surprise, she was sitting on the bed with her arms folded tightly over herself and her eyes pinning daggers in my direction as I stepped through the door. She spoke of nothing at first, but she doesn't have to. I know Pamela better than anyone else, and at that moment, she was screaming at me though her mouth remained in a _very_ thin, brittle line.

Pain was also etched into her features. I would even go as far to say that fear also lingered, mixed in with the turmoil. She had probably felt a small amount of the power Sookie blasted at me. She probably thought I was dead.

I realized that I haven't been the Maker to her as I used to be. I've punished her on Sookie's account in front of all my peers, made her do things I wouldn't normally ask of her, kept secrets from her, and most of all, banished her when she was only frightened for my safety—though it's probably a good thing. She would have drained Sookie otherwise.

I stood in silence and opened my arms for her. Instantly, she was against me, her arms draped around my back, and she was hugging me more tightly than she has ever done before. I felt her quiver and heard a slight groaning noise emanate from her mouth. I knew she was crying.

My left hand fell to the small of her back. I pulled her closer and rested my right hand on her head, gently massaging and pushing my fingers through her dark blond locks. Again, nor her or I spoke a word, which I am thankful. I have no words of comfort for even her.

The situation I am now in is one I never thought I would be in. I never thought I would love the fairy of the premonition. I would have killed her and Pamela and I would have returned to Earth where we would roam the world together forever; feeding and fucking and murdering all the ancestors of the ones that put us here in the first place. It's how I always planned it to be, but things have changed. Pamela knows that now.

I've put her through so much in such a short amount of time. That's all I could think about, but there is nothing I can say to make her understand the change in me, and why I still would save the girl that nearly burned me alive in the room right next to her own.

She was angry at me, furious even, but she didn't voice it—_yet_. I knew that it was coming one way or another. Pamela is never one to keep things bottled up for too long. I would face her wrath, but for the time being she is content to know that I am still alive.

She has much faith in her Maker who isn't very sure of himself at the moment and of what exactly he's got himself into.

But I would not change my mind. There is nothing in the world that could make me change my destiny now. Sookie is my future, she is my present. My mind mostly focuses on her now; on her and her safety.

_I don't deserve it, Eric. _

_That's the beauty of being me, Sookie. I don't care what anyone thinks. Even you. _

It was true what I had said. She may not deserve my struggle to save her life, but it's exactly what she is going to get. I've become weak. I could chuckle at the idea of trying to preserve a Fae's life, when I wanted to kill them ruthlessly before.

The witches were correct. I fell in love. This is my curse and my gift. I must learn how to co-exist between my love for her and my instinct to kill her. I was doing a very good job at it as well, until she nearly killed me. Now, I had to watch my back at all costs, though I knew—I _knew_—she wouldn't do it again. Instinct is truly a powerful thing.

My eyes tightened and I gently let go of Pamela who slipped down on the bed once more. She crossed her arms after wiping her eyes with a tissue from the box on the nightstand. More blood then there should have been; more than just bloody tears. The bleeds have started.

"Lie down, get some rest." I told her, sitting on the other side of the bed.

"No." She spoke lightly, offhandedly. "You get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

"There is no reason to, Pamela. Sookie is not coming in this room." I sighed, lying back on the bed.

I very much hoped that this conversation would have waited longer than five minutes.

"Well, I'm not taking any more God damn chances!" She growls. "You may trust her, but that's because you are blind with love. You were nearly barbequed in there and you let her live. You've learned restraint, and truly, I'm not sure I like it."

"You liked her well enough before." I closed my eyes. "You've definitely have a see-saw kind of relationship with her. You hate her and yet, you adore her. It's quite cute."

"Oh, ha-ha, Eric! She nearly killed you and this is how you act?" Pam snarled deep within her chest. "Like I said, I'm not closing my eyes when she is around. You can command me, but I will defy you. For once, Eric, just let me do this. I'd feel a bunch better about the idea of a microwaved fingered, psychotic girl just in the next room over."

"You are being far more dramatic than needed, Pam." I smirked, trying to elevate the pressure within the room. "I'm fine. I'm more aware of the situation now. I have been…." I tried to find the right word and settled on one she used before, "blind, but it shall not be that way any longer. She is regretful. She will not try again."

"Says you," She huffed a sigh.

"Yes, says me," I nodded slightly, "the one who has a bond with her. Now stop insulting and learn that things shall not change from here on out. She stays. As much as you don't like the idea, you must get used to it. I'm _sorry_."

I hung onto that last word, putting emphasis on it, to try and make her understand. I am sorry for what I put her through, but not sorry enough to change what I had planned.

It grew silent and I felt the bed shift next to me. Pamela laid down and crossed her arms across her chest tightly once more. I opened my eyes to peek at her. Her eyes were still open, staring up at the ceiling. I sighed, leaned over and grabbed her right hand with my left and began to run my thumb along her index finger. It soothed her enough to form a small smile to her lips; though I'm sure she thought I hadn't been looking.

"How can you still love her, Eric?" Pamela whispered after a moment. She didn't speak harshly, but curiously. "How can you possibly still want to save her? How can you possibly let that slide?"

My thumb stopped its motions.

"Because," I started, "she did not understand what she was doing. She believes I betrayed her and she was only following what her Grandmother had written to her. The witches used the old woman, manipulated her into believing that I was nothing but evil and would have killed her grandchild. From the way Sookie reacted at my comment of how gullible her Grandmother was, it gave me an idea of what their relationship was. Sookie was very close to her Grandmother. The woman is probably the only one Sookie truly believed in and trusted. And if her Grandmother believed that I used her, then Sookie would have as well. The old woman was not the only one that was manipulated by the witches, but Sookie herself. I'm sure the witches thought of this, maybe saw a possible future of how it could have played out, and swooped in to plant their ideas into her Grandmother's head to continue down that one possible future.

"But they didn't look at the whole picture. They chose it too early and too late at the same time." I smirked lightly. "Sookie loves me, but she was blinded by hate and lies and hurt. It buried her and brought out her own instincts of self-preservation. I cannot blame her. Her blood and fear at the idea of what I had done, what the witches told her Grandmother I would do, is the cause of the acts themselves. But because she loves me, she knew within her heart that she could not kill me."

"But you are angry with her?" Pamela asked.

My smirk drops.

"I am," I say, "but I am also very angry at myself."

Our love—her and mine—it's not common. Our blood boils and screams about potential danger now that she knows and now that we've come close to killing each other. We'll be more on guard, looking over our shoulders to make sure neither of us is trying to kill the other. One instant and everything changes.

I love her more than anything, she loves me more than anything, but the witches lit a match and a fire slowly dwindles now. They got half of what they wanted, half of their future they so badly fought for. We are enemies. We've always had been. But we've only finally figured it out and…_accepted_ it, in a way.

And yet love lingers within the primal instincts to kill.

It's something we may have to fight against every single day if I'm able to save her. And though it seems hard, I'm willing to fight it for her. I'm willing to do anything. By the way Sookie is feeling, I'm sure she feels the same way, though, she's doesn't quite understand how to do so.

We'll figure it out. We'll have to. We have a long road ahead. But for now the space is needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

It was cold again. The temperature seemed to gradually go down way past anything I have ever felt before. Even colder than the night Pam and I left the castle and I passed out.

But I didn't think it was actually _that_ cold. I thought the chill was actually inside of me. A dead feeling that left a bitter chill to my nervous system and a hollowness that I couldn't quite explain. I felt fried in a way; fried and tired and cold.

I pulled the jacket I was given tighter around my body as I bent my knees to walk faster up the hill that seemed to be so large, I would consider it a mountain. Snow caked up to my knees, my jeans were fast approaching soaking wet, and we still had awhile to go.

That was all that I was told when Eric came to get me. He didn't even look at me—not that I could have even dealt with it to begin with—but he didn't. His eyes had been cast to the floor and he spoke softly, almost mutely and told me to get ready and that we were leaving as soon as I exited the room. Then, he turned and left me there.

The only good thing was that I didn't cry. I had cried enough that could possibly put literal sense to the song 'Cry Me a River'. I got up, grabbed my jacket, and was out the door.

The night wind whistled around us wildly, though no more snow blew with it. The sky was clear. The close planet taking front and center and the stars seemed to twinkle just a bit more brightly. It was beautiful, I knew it was, but I just couldn't feel it. I couldn't just look up at the night sky and be amazed at what I saw like countless of other nights I had spent here in Symperia. I had nothing left to be amazed at, if that made a lick of sense.

I looked forward toward the vampires that walked so close next to each other in front of me, unaffected by this coldness. I watched as Pam looked over at Eric, who seemed stoic as he walked, with his head raised forward and his long blond hair flowing down his back. I couldn't see his face, but whatever Pam saw, she didn't seem to like. She looked behind me as if she knew I had been watching. She gave me a narrow eyed glance and then proceeded to grab Eric's hand and hold it tightly. He didn't let it go.

My heart seared up like wildfire and I turned away my gaze. Jealousy was the last thing on my list, but it seemed to have skyrocketed to number one at that one moment. I wished more than anything that I could have comforted him, could have found the right words to make everything okay.

How much more could I hate myself? To be honest, I just keep finding myself deeper and deeper into my own grave with no way out whatsoever.

I kept walking though because there was just no way that I could stop. If he was serious about saving my life, then I should at least let him do as he wishes. I thought that it was a pretty much a dead end though, since if he couldn't even look at me now, then my life was over.

Silly how one person could make you feel like you needed them and their love to survive. I had his love but did I really _have_ him anymore?

We breached the top of the hill where they abruptly stopped so suddenly that I almost ran into them. I stumbled back slightly, digging my heels deeper into the snow covered, hardened soil.

Eric made a guttural groan in the back of his throat then proceeded to kneel down slightly in the snow. Pam followed suit and I did as well, going along with whatever they were doing. I didn't want to be the only person standing straight up, giving away our position, if there was something on the other side.

As it turns out there was.

"Meat Feeders," Pam spoke softly, sniffing the air. "Are we going to go through them, Eric?"

Just the way she said _meat feeders _sent chills down my spine.

"We must," He replied, looking back at me for a moment. His eyes didn't stay on mine very long. "The surrounding areas drop off into a valley; we would never make it to our destination before the sun rises if we choose to go around them and," he sighed, "no matter where we go they will follow. They already caught her scent."

Her scent? _Her scent?_

Well, I can guarantee they are talking about me.

"What are they?" I spoke lightly, trying to keep my voice steady.

It was silent for two seconds before I got a reply.

"Flesh eaters, carnivores," Pam said offhandedly, as if I didn't matter. I knew I really didn't when it came to her now. "Use whatever name you want. They travel in packs and feed from humans' bodies, and now that they smell you, you are their next meal if we don't stop them."

"Wonderful." I said. "Can you not reason with them?"

"No. They are practically animals." She continued in a hushed voice. "Ones that we cannot tame and don't follow our rules."

"Much like the rogue vampires then?"

She shook her head. I'm pretty sure she rolled her eyes at my question though I couldn't see it.

"They were here in Symperia when we came through the portal. This is their domain. They roam the land. When we come across them, we try to avoid them at all costs."

"Why?"

"Damn it, Sookie," She growled. Pam was getting tired of my questioning. "It's because they have no problem eating dead meat if it's provided for them. If your simple mind can understand where I'm going with this that would be great. We don't have time for idle chit-chat. Get it?"

Dead meat?

Oh.

_Oh. _

Then it clicked in my head. Eric and Pam were not technically alive. They were the dead meat in the equation. Another chill rolled down my spine.

Eric nodded at Pam and they began to move up the hill. I followed slowly after them, trying to keep as quiet as they were, but I really couldn't be as stealthily as they were.

They moved swiftly behind the thinning trees, waiting for me to catch up before going to the next. And I finally got a look of what was down just now a few yards away from us.

There were a dozen of these creatures that I could only describe as horrifying. Some were on all fours, hunched over; their hind legs contorting to vaguely remind me of dog legs. They were hairless creatures, with what looked to be scaly skin, long pointed ears, pushed in noses with large nostrils, massive claws on all fingers and toes, razor sharp teeth, and huge dark scaly wings.

This stench began to overtake me to the point that I had to bring the jacket sleeve up to my nose and mouth to try to block it out. It was horrible and I knew where it was coming from. I wish I was naïve enough to not know what it was.

The snow had been turned from a crispy white to a crimson red. The strong odor that engulfed me was blood, and a lot of it. There were three cabins in a row there surrounded by a fence that was, from the look of things, clawed down, just as the doors of the cabins themselves were.

These creatures must have caught scent the people living here, and in a frenzy, destroyed the things these unsuspecting people put up to hopefully protect them from the dangers of the woods. Except it didn't go according to plan for them, since each one of them were now dead and gone while the Meat Feeders tore apart their bodies.

It's probably why they haven't attacked us yet. These poor people were the main course and while we stood there, in the creatures minds, we were dessert. The only difference was that even if we had run, they would have followed. Probably like blood hounds. Follow the scent for miles and miles until they came upon what they were searching for. I guess Eric and Pam didn't want to take that risk. I understood.

Eric turned to Pam, who was crouched next to him while I stood a few paces back from them. He whispered something into her ear, to which she nodded and turned her attention back toward the threat.

Most of the creatures were engrossed in their meal, so much that they didn't hear Eric reach up and break off a rather thick branch from the tree above him. The creatures didn't notice, but something else did.

I watched as the burly Meat Feeder moved to the right and a small head turned in our direction. The only indication of that I knew the child was alive was for the fact that he blinked and I saw it. One of these unsuspecting people was not dead and gone. The child—a small boy with dirty blond locks—was alive while these creatures ate him…_alive_.

Without thinking, without understanding exactly what I was doing, I took off in a sprint. I heard someone holler at me, but my mind wouldn't adjust to the yelling. All I knew was that boy was alive and I couldn't let him being chewed alive any longer.

I brought up my hand and light burst out. It knocked the group away from their meal. It was the worst mistake I could have done, because they all turned on me and leapt in the air, snarling all the while.

Before their impact could touch me, something grabbed onto the back of my jacked and roughly pulled me off of my feet and threw me backward. I hit the ground with a thud and slid across the snow a few more yards. When I opened my eyes I saw Eric standing exactly where I had been a moment ago. He had the branch in his hand, holding up one of the creatures who had been impaled with it.

Pam ran around, faster than fast, grabbing the creatures' heads and twisting sideways. They dropped to the ground and did not move. I sat in shock as Eric dropped the impaled Meat Feeder to the ground and followed Pam's movements, ripping, breaking, and killing the beasts that killed these people, and would have surely killed me if Eric had not saved me yet again.

After it was over and after some of the feeders ran into the tree line to get away, Eric walked over to me. I could tell that he was angry—_furious_. His body trembled, but I wasn't sure if it was adrenaline or from the anger coming off of him in waves.

"What the fuck was that?" His voice boomed in my ears.

I ignored him though, when I heard a small sound come from where the boy laid. I was sure he would have died by now. I scrambled to my feet and pushed past Eric who moved to the side though he followed right at my heels.

"What are you doing?" He growled. "You realize he will not live, correct?"

I ignored him yet again and knelt by the boy. It was only now why I ran to him just as quickly as I could, why I didn't think of anything but him as I risked my own life. Yes, I probably would have done the same for any child, but I knew for a fact why I did it.

"J-Jason…." I whispered so lightly that I barely heard my own voice.

My brother; my brother back in Bon Temps….

This child was not my brother, I knew that, because my brother was a man, one that I knew was going to be getting married—maybe already did back on Earth. But this child, this small boy with blue eyes and dirty blond hair looked almost exactly like my brother did when he was young.

I felt tears swell up, but I blinked them away. My breathe caught in my throat and I made a choking sound as I reached down and grab the small child's hand in my own. I didn't want to scare the boy any more than needed.

The boy looked frightened, but not once—_not once_—did he cry out. Not when he was being mauled before my very eyes, and surely not now, though he must be in incredible pain. I couldn't even look at his wounds, though they were severe. It was too much to bear for me.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to _make_ this better.

I looked into his eyes and watched as simple tears fell from each corner and slid down the sides of his face as he looked up into mine. I don't know what he saw, if he saw anything at all as he looked, but his small grip on my hand tightened as if he knew I was there to help him.

"It's going to be okay," I found myself saying, though I knew it wasn't. It wasn't enough to pacify a dying child that I believe knew they were dying. Even at such a young age, he must have known an inkling of what was going on around him because he shook his head. He knew it wasn't going to be alright.

_Blood—blood everywhere. Crimson red snow—crimson red and sticky skin. Oh, God. _

"Don't give the child false hope, Sookie." Eric's voice wasn't malice like last time he spoke. It was more gentle—still rough—but softer. "He will die."

Before I knew what I was saying, it slipped from my lips. "Help him, Eric."

"I cannot." He said simply. "It goes against everything I believe in to turn a child."

"I didn't mean it like that!" I yelled. Not at him…not at anyone really. I just yelled. "G-Glamour him…so he doesn't feel this pain as he dies." I whispered so softly so that the boy couldn't hear it, but Eric could and so could Pam.

I didn't think he would do it. Not after everything else I have done to him lately. He had no reason to grant me this request if he did not wish it himself, but after a moment, he pushed on my shoulder and I scooted up by the child's head. I gently lifted him to rest on my knees and kept his hand in my own for comfort—I think the child knew it as such.

He did not show fear as Eric leaned down and caught his eyes in his.

Eric whispered, "Child, look at me. You will feel nothing more as you lie here tonight. No pain, no fear. You are in very good hands. This woman, her name is Sookie, and she risked her life so you would not have to suffer. You won't be alone. She will take care of you," To my surprise, Eric brought his hand up and ran it through the boy's hair gently, "Until the very end." And he stood and walked away, pulling Pam along with him. He didn't go far, only a few yards away. I heard him over the small wind that whistled though the trees, "It won't be long. He only has a few moments left."

Tears again—for a child that I would never know what his name was.

As I turned my attention back to the boy, I noticed he was looking up at me. I followed Eric's motions and ran my hand through his hair before coming down onto his cheek. To my surprise he leaned into my touch slightly.

"D-Do you want me to sing to you?" I whispered, trying to get my voice to steady. It wouldn't, no matter how hard I tried.

It was the only thing that came to mind. The only thing that made me feel better when I was a child. It made me think of my Gran who had sung me to sleep when I was sad or scared. It was the only thing that I could do for him, to try to make him feel at peace the way Gran always was able to do for me, though I would never have the voice my Gran had.

Surprisingly, the boy nodded ever so slightly.

And I did. I sang him a tune my Gran always sang to me. It had no meaning between this child and I. He was a stranger, just as I was to him, but that didn't matter. None of that mattered. The song I picked was: 'You Are My Sunshine.'

As I was singing, the boy's eyes fluttered, just as mine had when I started to fall asleep every night. I think I held onto that thought, or else I wouldn't be able to continue without sobbing. I made myself believe that all this child was doing was falling asleep to dream peaceful dreams.

When I started up again, going over the words one more time, the same melody, the boy's hand began to loosen in mine. I just gripped tighter as he was letting go.

_He was just falling asleep—the boy was going to sleep. _I kept thinking.

His eyes fluttered open and then slowly drooped and never opened again, but a small smile formed on his lips before that fell away as well.

"Please don't take…my sunshine," The boy's hand fell slack in my own, "a-away…."


	29. Change of plan

**Author's Notes:** Hello, my dear and faithful readers!

We are back with another chapter and I really do hope you enjoy it!

***Special Thanks:** I wanted to thank EricsGaGirl personally, for all of her reviews back to back! Thank you for finding my stories and loving each and every one of them! You, girl, are amazing. I thank you for all of your awesome reviews that made me smile ear to ear!

And thank you all for sticking with me and giving me your wonderful feedback. You wonderful women are seriously the best readers a writer could possibly have! I've missed you all too! *hugs all around*

To some of my new readers, thank you as well for finding this story and loving it as much as I love to write it. Seriously—it's my second baby. :P

Anyway, on with the chapter!

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p>How long have I sat in the same place? Ten minutes, twenty? Time had no meaning as I held the body of a child so young in my grasp. His life was gone, his spirit had left the physical form and yet, I still couldn't move away. I was numb, <em>more<em> than numb. I was also in shock.

I've seen enough. I've dealt with enough. The child's death was the breaking point in my eyes. I've finally lost my mind. The child took my humanity with him as he left this world. I pray he finds peace, where ever he may be.

The child's blood is now on my hands, and so is his death. I may not have caused it, but I sure as well let it play out.

_You tried to make his passing easier. _Something inside of me called, but could I really believe it? Maybe, just maybe, I should have begged, pleaded until Eric turned him. Or maybe Pam would have? I'm not on good terms with her though, so I doubt it very much.

Or did I really do the right thing and let him pass—in what I believe—was a peaceful way to go? The blood staining my clothes crimson doesn't give me much hope regardless if it was the right thing to do.

Eric doesn't turn children. He said it to me. It goes against everything he believes in, but why? Why not turn a child? Is it, perhaps, because the child would never further grow up? Would that child be marred by that? It was something I wasn't even capable to think rationally about.

It didn't matter anyway. I sentenced it. I was the last thing the child heard and saw. I was an Angel of Death in the boy's situation.

With a shaking hand, I brought it to the blond hair of the dead child, and gently ran my bloody hands through it. Patting his locks down from the wild, sticking up and combing it out the best I could. I smiled, but it wasn't a smile. It was not one of joy. What do you call those types of smiles? I will never have a word for it.

Tears flowed freely, the biting cold wanting to freeze my tears to my cheeks. Maybe it should. I should always have tears for this child. Why? No real reason other than I was there. I cared for the boy, who died in my arms, which reminded me so much of my brother back in Bon Temps, one that I will never know his name. A nameless boy.

I heard movement and I looked up to see the two vampires I've been with since almost the beginning standing over me, looking at me. No emotion on either of their faces. Did they enjoy the death of this child, just as much as the creatures that actually took his life away?

Sinister thoughts, but ones that should not be there, but, they were. In my heart, the burn resided. Was these emotions mourning and grieving? It was different than what I felt for my Gran when she died and what I felt when my mother and father died as well. Many different shades of sadness I guess there are, and I'm only now figuring it out? Maybe I'm just scorned that I couldn't have saved this child without the help of vampires and their gifts of giving more life? I should have been a doctor….that could have saved this child's life.

_He was too far gone anyway. _My subconscious tried to reason.

Hardly any emotion at all! I fumed. Hardly any sort of indication that my vampires even cared that he died! He _died_! He died in my arms!

I think they knew what I was thinking. Pam and Eric gave each other a distant look—one that didn't show _me_ anything.

Before I knew what she was doing, Pam crouched down beside me and met my gaze head on.

"Give me the child, Sookie." She said.

For a moment, my own instincts kicked in to somehow protect the dead child in my arms. I grasped onto his body tighter, pulling him up and closer to my chest. I shook my head, and nearly barred my teeth at her like an animal would.

I didn't know what she wanted from the child. Maybe she wanted to drink the left overs for all I knew.

_This isn't you. This is not how you should be thinking of your friends…of the man you love more than anything. _My subconscious raged at me. Was she right?

I watched Pam sigh and look up at Eric gravely. What? Was she going to rip the child from my arms next?

_Stop it, stop it, stop it! _My mind screeched in a high pitch.

Eric was the next to lean down. I coiled away from him, scooting my upper half in the opposite direction of where he crouched.

"Sookie, look at me."He I didn't reply he grabbed my chin in his fingers. I had to ignore the instinct to push him away, but there was also a small part of me fighting to override the instinct and beg for his touch. Once my eyes were in captivated in his he whispered, "Sookie, you are in shock. I know this difficult for you, but you must give Pam the child so we can bury him and make our leave. We cannot stay much longer here. The sun—"

And he stopped, looking down at his own feet. I knew what he was going to say. The sun would be coming up in a few hours, and we had to make it to his destination before that time came.

I knew then that it had been wrong to feel and think the way I just had. Like a switch being flicked on. They weren't trying to take the child away to drink on his blood, or what was left of it like my instincts played it out to be. And they might not show much emotion on their features, but they had enough kindness in their non-beating hearts to stop and dig a grave for the nameless boy.

I spoke nothing as I looked back at the child one last time, before I lifted him up off of me gently. Pam was there in an instant to grab the child from me, cradle him in her arms awkwardly, and carry him away.

I sat there, blood drenched, and just watched as she marched toward the tree line where I saw her standing earlier. I felt nothing then. I was deflated instantaneously. All the pain, the anguish, the guilt, and the mourning vanished, and I was left with a hollowed feeling once more tonight.

Eric stood, but didn't walk away. In fact, he held out his hand for me to take. I looked at it for a moment and at then at him. He stood there, no emotion lingering in his features and simply held out his hand in waiting. I knew that nothing had changed. That, just because this happened, didn't mean that all was well for us as a couple. He was doing it just for the fact that he still loves me. And that he doesn't want me to feel this way.

I take his hand gingerly and he hauls me to my feet. I look at him once more. My eyes soften as I see him gazing at me carefully. Is he trying to decide if I'm okay? It could very well be. I open my mouth to speak, but he interrupts me.

"Let's head over to see if Pam is finished. We must get going." He spoke in a gentle, light tone.

My head bowed and I looked at my feet. I realize he is still grasping my hand. It's a very loose grip he has on me, but it does give me strength to move along with him past the gruesome scene still around.

The other bodies still lie on the ground, but I dared not to think of it more than that. We didn't have time to bury them all. I understood.

We came across the freshly covered grave. The soil tampered with and a small mound of hardened soil mixed with snow now covered the body of the nameless boy. I stood there a moment. I didn't have it in me to try any longer for this child. I was too spent. All I could do was pray he was happy where it was, and that maybe, my Gran would watch after him so he wasn't alone wherever he was.

Letting go of Eric's hand, I leaned down and touched the mound, laying my blood reddened caked, pasted hand on top of where the boy will forever lie.

"Thank you," I whispered to my vampire companions. "I know….that this doesn't change anything. But thank you…for giving peace to this dying boy."

And I rose and began walking away from the grave, in the direction that we were originally going knowing full well, sooner or later, Pam or Eric would move up and take charge of which way we needed to head. I just needed this space. I understood Eric now, when he said earlier he needed space from what I had done, what he had done. I needed this small amount of time to allow myself to readjust and find my own humanity that seemed to die along with the nameless child.

* * *

><p>We seemed to have been walking for so long now. We had to stop for the night, and hide in one of the caves that we're in the woods. Eric and Pam slept half covered in soil that lined the cave bed. We had to stop. We simply wouldn't have made it to where we were going—I still have no idea where—on time.<p>

I stayed up that day, the whole day. I thought everything over. I felt more relieved than I had before. I feel—different in a way. I came to terms of what I had asked of Eric when it came to the child, and he did so willingly. I came to terms with the fact that I could not have saved him myself and that I had not caused his death, but maybe helped him, ease him in the end. It gave me a slight form of peace, one that didn't fully touch my heart because of everything else that's happened, but I'm going to be okay with it. I'll live knowing that the child did not die alone.

Everything else is still the same. Eric still hasn't talked to me about anything. I understand now, but it doesn't mean that I like it. How could I? I love him. I need him. I just can't technically have him right now.

We began walking right after the sun had set, at a quicker pace than we first started out. I kept quiet the whole time. There was nothing really to say, and no one else did either. It was all quiet there. All you heard was the sound of the snow crunching under your feet and the wind whistling in the air and through the trees.

We must have reached our destination, because Eric had stopped.

"We're here." Eric's voice blew across the wind.

"Where is here?" I asked, shocking myself that I actually spoke.

Though, Eric didn't turn around, he answered me. "We are at the Seer's home." He spoke. "Mae shall know what to do."

I brought my hand up to my mouth in awe. I had totally forgotten about the Seer who had shown up at the castle before. She said there had been another option or that Eric could decide to stay in Symperia after the Black Hole was obliterated by the fairy—by me.

I looked down at the small cottage looking home. There was smoke coming out of the chimney, there was dim light shining through the small windows, and the roof looked like it had a hole or two here and there. The home itself sat in a weird oval shaped meadow blanketed in snow, with one dead tree standing next to the cottage. The bowing branches were covered in snow and ice sickles, the trunk was twisted and rotted so badly on the right side that you could see that it was nearly gutted out on the inside. The house in all didn't seem very inviting. For some reason the story 'Hansel and Gretel' came to mind, except this house was definitely not made out of candy, and the person inside wasn't a witch but a vampire—a really old and really powerful one at that.

I gulped, remembering how the Seer had looked at me, how she seemed to peer past my eyes and straight into my soul. I just knew now that she knew who I was before I even did, but why didn't she say anything to Eric? Maybe she had been worried for my safety? No, I'm sure that wasn't it. Maybe, just like Eric had said, that fate needed to play out without anyone's interference.

I looked up at Eric who I now joined on the other side of Pam. I heard her groan but I paid no mind. My mind raced a thousand times faster as I thought over all the possibilities until I saw the door of the cottage open, and a slightly bent over figure stepped outside. I squinted, but I couldn't exactly see who it was, though I was sure it was Mae.

Then I heard a voice rise up over the wind, but not high enough that I could fully make it out what the person was saying.

I now heard Eric cuss under his breath. "Come on, we've got to hurry."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Because, she just said the future changed yet again, like it always seems to do," Pam said gravely. I think her comment was directed at both Eric and I.

Eric trudged down the hill first, Pam went next, and then I brought up the rear. This side seemed to be more slippery than the side we just climbed. I had to walk slowly to make sure I didn't fall and slip down the whole thing.

Once I reached the bottom, Pam and Eric were already heading inside. Eric finally looked back at me though and that exact moment I lost my balance and almost took a nose dive into the snow. I grumbled under my breath and followed them.

Mae, the Seer was still standing outside, obviously waiting for me to hurry up. Blood still lingered on my skin and clothing. I faintly wondered what Mae thought about that. Wringing my hands together, I picked up my speed. I gave a quick, stiff nod in her direction as I walked through the threshold and into her home.

It was a small little area, with not much to explain. There were candles lit and flickering everywhere and parchment thrown all about the room. There were cobwebs lining the ceiling and giant dust bunnies collecting on the floor. The air was musky and almost hard to breathe through, but I managed.

"As you have just heard," Mae spoke as she shut the door on her way in, "the premonition has changed. It's a lot more hectic than it started out to be." She sighed, holding up her hand to stop Eric as he opened his mouth to speak. "I know what you came here for Eric, and I'm sorry, but staying in Symperia is not an option any longer."

My heart seemed to falter at her words and I slunk down onto the old, color faded, floral print couch. My eyes moved to meet Eric's and my heart seemed to jump up into my throat with the look he was giving me. His eyes held so much. It was like I was looking back into his past. A thousand wars, a thousand years, and yet, none of that mattered anymore because I knew, just by looking into his blue eyes that his plan had been to stay in Symperia. That had been his first option. I didn't need to know the rest. It had been taken away from him, in all but two seconds to hear those words stumble from Mae's lips.

"The witches, their power…" Mae seemed lost for words. "They had other options all along. If one plan failed for them, they had another."

"So, what you told me in the room the room yesterday," Pam started, "About the witches choosing too early and too late…"

"They had a back-up plan," Eric hissed darkly, "for if Sookie didn't complete her task in actually killing me. They had a fucking back-up plan, to back-up their other plans."

I winced away at his loud voice, and bent my head low as a new wave of guilt rushed through my veins. I couldn't speak, let alone ask what exactly they were talking about.

"I wouldn't have ever deemed them smart enough," Pam spoke gravely.

"Exactly," Mae whispered. "It was hidden well, Eric. It was something I couldn't see coming, because it was only a side possibility. She tried to kill you, didn't she?" Mae nodded her head in my direction without looking.

"Yes, twice." Pam sniveled out, hissing at me. I could vaguely see a hint of fang sticking out from the bottom of her top lip. Whatever kindness she held for me last night with the boy, it vanished in an instant.

I bowed my head in shame. "Yes, I did try to kill him, but…I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with it." I sighed heavily, feeling the weight of everything falling on my shoulders again. But, I had enough of being pushed around. I glared up at Pam, turned my eyes to Mae, and finally blue eyes fell to blue eyes as I stared at him. "And I have no idea how to make up for it, and I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry. I don't know what else I can say."

He spoke of nothing, but his eyes didn't sway from mine. The air lingered heavily around us all. I closed my eyes and sighed. It was quiet for two moments before the silence was broken.

"As I was saying," Mae jumped in, "with her decision not to kill you—which I will give her credit for because she decided against it—it changed the future once again, because the power was held within the Cluviel Dor that is within her heart. There was an extra enchantment, you could say, on the trinket." She looked at me sadly. "That if she chose not to kill the one she loved, that it will alter something else in existence, changing the course—yet again—of the future. And in doing so, it changed the Black Hole."

"How so?" Eric murmured.

Mae moved throughout the room, pulling parchment after parchment off the ground, flinging them behind her. Finally, she pulled a canvas off the floor and settled it in the middle of the room. "I drew this, this morning. I woke from my sleep, which is very hard to do. I had to illustrate what I had seen."

Changes, changes, and more changes; how is this ever going to work out? Nothing is going right. I'm more lost than I was before. I didn't want to listen any longer. Why try when there is always something else right around the corner we have to face? I murmured about needing fresh air and walked out of the small, dirty cottage before anyone could stop me.

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><p><strong>Eric's POV:<strong>

"Are you just going to let her go?" Mae asked of me, stopping and turning away from the actual big problem on our hands.

I nodded, watching Sookie leave. She wouldn't go further than the front step.

"For now," I replied with a nod. "Continue."

Mae shook her head but turned back to the painting. It was almost identical to the one hanging in my castle. The back of Sookie's body, her blond hair flowing wildly with her crimson bloody arms stretched upward, but instead of one Black Hole she was fighting off in the other painting, there were several. The Black Holes were not evaporating from the light. It was as if Sookie's powers could not penetrate the absolute darkness. All she seemed to be doing was keeping them at bay.

"Do you know what this means?" Mae questioned.

"I have a vague idea." I spoke sarcastically.

"There is more than one Black Hole now and they will descend very soon to kill us all, including Sookie because she betrayed her kind _and_ the witches with choosing to not go through with ending your life. It's like they would look at her as if she was a traitor and therefore, she dies with the rest of us." Mae whispers, shaking her head. "The Black Holes will never stop. There is no way to defeat them. Our only option is to go back to Earth now."

"And what shall become of Sookie?" Mae turns her head away from my glance. I didn't like it. I roughly grabbed her arm and turned her back in my direction. I snarled. "What shall become of Sookie, Mae?"

Her eyes seem to dull. "None of the…._better_ premonitions I have ever had on this subject, none of the outcomes I have seen before, _apply _anymore, Eric." She speaks gently, but urgently. "There is only one. The one you had planned to do all along."

I release her as quickly as I could, as if she burned my hand. I stumbled back.

"Eric…" Pam tries, but I hold up my hand for her to stop.

"So are you saying," I whisper, "that there is no way _I_ can save her?"

"There is no way you can save her." She quipped so quickly that I barely caught it. "Go to her, Eric. You cannot stay mad at her forever." Mae said sternly. "You both were played like pawns on a chess board, Eric. Neither is at fault for the actions caused by these old foes of yours. Now is not the time for you two to act this way with one another. If the end—"

I cut her off, by shaking my head and backing away.

"No, don't speak of it." I spoke loudly.

And I was out the door just as quickly as Sookie was. I looked down the path, seeing that Sookie did in fact go further than the first step, but not much farther. She hadn't heard me come out. I was grateful.

I stood there in silence a few feet behind her, and watched her small, jittery movements in the snow. My mind raced, my body screamed at me that I must accept what is and be done with it—just as I had done with the small child that died in my lovers arms. I shook my head slowly, my eyes tightening as I looked at only her.

My instincts started to kick in to preserve my own life, along with all of my peers, but I wouldn't do that. If there was no way to save Sookie in the end, then we shall all die. I shall doom us all.

But I won't give up so easily. I have never given up in my long existence, and I did not plan on starting now. Something similar to hope flared up within me and I opened the bond between us because Mae was right on something; I could not fight what I feel for her and be upset at her for something she did not necessarily do on her own. I could not just be away from her with the possibility that our lives might end very shortly. I cannot continue on with the way I have been acting tonight. I must fight the instincts and love her as strongly as I can.

As strange and quickly as it had come, I let the idea of what she had done roll off my shoulders and burn it out of my mind forever. None of it mattered. All that mattered, all that should have mattered in the first place was and forever will be is loving her. We had been played, just as Mae had said, like pawns on a chess board. And when two people compassionately love other on the level that Sookie and I do, and if a potential apocalypse hung at the balance, nothing else should matter except staying unified and defying what fate had thrown our way. I had let the game the witches set eat me alive and break my resolve. That makes me weak and weak is something that I am not. I am not controlled by my instincts. I do as I please, and now is the time to start finding myself again. And, I know, that to find myself is to bring myself closer to Sookie once more. Sookie_ is _my life, just as much as I am hers. We fight together.

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><p><strong>Sookie's POV:<strong>

I looked up toward the heavens hoping to see a shooting star streak across the night sky. All I want to do is to wish that I could go back in time. I didn't have a set date in mind when I thought of it, really; maybe a place where all this didn't exist, maybe a place where _I _didn't exactly exist. A place where I didn't have to go through things like this—the way I feel about everything. I had given up any form of hope for _anything_. It was all too complicated for my already tattered and battered mind, body, and soul. These last few days have really thrown me through a ringer.

I just don't feel like myself anymore, but that makes me think of a bunch of different things. Did I really know who I was before all of this happened? No, I didn't, and probably would have lived a very boring life. Sometimes lately though—like right now, standing in the snow having a really bad night that only seems to be escalating—I wish I had a normal life.

Time passed and still no shooting star. I gave up on the idea that something that silly would even help me. Quite frankly—I didn't think I could have wished for what I wanted to a moment ago. I just don't know what I want or what I really expect to happen.

That was, until I felt something well up within my heart. Warmth I hadn't ever felt. My hand slowly grasped my shirt, under the jacket, and right above my heart where the heat started. It was different than the heat I felt from my powers. This feeling made me want to smile, it made me want to _feel _hope. I wanted to hold onto it and never let it go.

Then a strong hand grasped my shoulder and began to turn me around. I looked up into the blue eyes of the one I loved the most. Eric just stared at me for a moment, letting this hope fill my body completely. I knew it was him doing it now. I just wondered why. Why all of a sudden he would offer me this when he wouldn't even speak with me before.

"It's what they want," He said as if he could read my thoughts. "The witches want us to be the enemies we were born to be. I can't let that happen. I _won't_ let that happen. You are who I'm fighting for in this, Sookie, only you." His words frightened me with how much intensity was put into every syllable.

"Why…are you…?" I asked, but he hushed me.

His mouth fell down onto mine and he kissed me roughly. His arms grasped the small of my back and lifted me closer to his body until we were touching with no room to move. I was frozen for a moment, shocked at the turn of events. His arms we're strained, fighting against…._something_.

"Please," I heard him whisper against my lips. "Forget everything. None of it matters."

"Eric," I try to speak through his rough kisses that only seemed to be more desperate each time he came back for more. "E-Eric, please…wait." I try to push him, knowing it wouldn't have done any use, but he sighed and pulled back.

"Why do you push me away when I want to make things better?" He asked harshly, moving closer and invading my space. He grabbed my shoulders tightly in his grasp, so much that I winced. "Why?"

"B-Because, this isn't you," I spoke knowing something was wrong with him. He wouldn't have changed his mind unless something _really_ happened back in the house. "You were so set on keeping space, and I understand…I understand now why you needed it. I think I always did. I—" A fresh wound opened up in my heart. "I almost killed you…twice. Pam didn't lie back there. And all I can say is I'm sorry? I'm_ Sorry_?"

In that single moment, everything became real to me—really real. I had a revelation.

"That's not good enough for me!" I yelled, but more at myself than at him. "I've wallowed in my own self-pity for what I had almost done, and I will live with it until the day I die."

His eyes grew wide with alarm, and he pulled me against his chest tightly. I tried to fight, but he growled in my ear. It was a possessive growl. "No, you will not die. You. Will. Not. Die!" His voice held so much emotion—so much that I caught on to what must have been spoken between him and Mae while I was outside.

"S-So," I whispered, falling slack in his arms, "we came here for nothing then."

"That's not true. Don't even think it." His grip only tightened. He knew that I knew. "I'll find a way, Sookie, I promise."

I shook my head, smiling sadly at his words of anguish. "Why do you love me so much, Eric? For all that I've done, I truly do not deserve you."

He pulled back and looked at me. "You do not deserve me?"

I met his blue gaze with a steady one of my own—not thinking about my future doom, not thinking about myself. It's about him now.

"No, I know I don't." I bring my hand up to his face and let my fingertips run the length of his jawline. "I could die a hundred times and still not be worthy of you."

"You're wrong." He states simply. "We've had our rough moments. I know this has been hell. This is what this place is—_hell_, Sookie. They put us here, the witches, making it our own personal hell. They used you, they used me, they used our destiny to their advantage in hopes that we would die here _in_ this hell." He stood straighter, grabbing my chin and forcing me to look at him when I tried to turn away. "They might have had a back-up plan, and it may have worked. It may have done exactly what they wanted it to do, but you chose your own destiny, Sookie. You chose to not kill me. They didn't taint you as much as you want to believe they did. Do you realize this? And you think you don't deserve me?"

I looked up at him, trying to understand his words. He's put me through another ringer tonight with his kind, loving words. Tears sting my eyes, but I hold them back—no reason to cry.

"I was…wrong, Sookie." He spoke regretfully. "I was wrong in pushing you away. It felt right at the time, but it doesn't anymore. I won't push you away, and I don't want you to push me away from you. If I cannot save you—" He shook his head. "I will find a way, Sookie. I promise you."

"Eric—" My voice hitches.

"It's what they want. They want us to remain enemies until the very end. I can't allow that to happen, do you understand?"

"I…I understand." I nod, still reeling from this new profound information. "I love you, Eric, so very much."

"And I love you," He smiles for the first time in what feels like forever. It is such a beautiful sight. "It's why I will not give up."

I don't speak my mind on his thoughts. If the premonition has changed and he suddenly changed his view on everything we spoke about in that motel room, then I know that there is nothing he can physically do to save us both from this hell world, as he so rightfully put it. He's scared—scared to lose me, and I know I feel the same way. I'm terrified to lose Eric.

But, I know it will do nothing to show him that the odds aren't very high in our favor. No need for him to feel any more pain or fear from this.

It's a whole different side that I'm seeing from him. It's almost—human—in a way. Fear does a lot to people, but I never thought fear could touch him the way it has tonight. Before I met him, I believed he feared nothing. I realized that no matter what species you are, mortal or immortal; we aren't as different from one another as the witches played the Supes out to be. We all feel, we all hurt, we all love, and we fear.

So I whisper, "I don't want you to ever give up. We'll find a way."

Eric's eyes search mine carefully. He brings his fingers up to my chin again, running it up to my cheek bone before crossing over my ear to put his hand through my hair. I savored his touch as if it was my last, and to be honest, it very well could be.

We all have a destiny and I know what mine is. It's an eerie feeling when you know where your life is going. I just don't want Eric to follow me into death.

* * *

><p>There was hardly any light in the small living space of Mae's home. My eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness. The only light source was for the two holes that were in the ceiling on the other side of the room. The sun shined through and hurt my eyes each time I glanced their way.<p>

I had a lot of time to come to terms with something heavy yet again. Surprisingly, I'm not scared. I'm not scared to die, but I am frightened. I'm frightened that Eric would die with me, and his people would crumble as well. I don't want that to happen.

My people—the Fae caused everything because of their want to mingle with humans. It caused the war. They threw the gauntlet down and Eric was the one that picked it up. He had warned them that it would cost them greatly, cost every Supe greatly, and it did. He didn't lie.

For the first time, I accepted that I hated my own kind. Hated them for what they did that lead me here, racking my brains into mush to figure out something that would help save everyone else. I hated them, but I cherished them at the same time.

They lead me here where I met Eric and where I have grown as a person. From all that I have seen, to all that I've done, I've changed. I've changed and it's not because of the Fae blood running through my system.

Suddenly, I heard the door creek to the left. It was the basement door that was now opened slightly. I watched silently as a figure came forth and tightly hugged the wall, inching their way down to the only other door that leads to a room in this place.

"I can talk freely with you now, dearest Sookie." Mae's voice called lightly through the air.

I blink slowly and watch her open the door to the other room and walk inside. I see a thin, white hand pop out from the shadow of the room. She curled her fingers, palms up, in my direction, and with one index finger, beckoned to me.

I stood up silently, without question and followed Mae into the shadows of the room. It was pitch black, no windows whatsoever. I stumbled around, banging my legs off of something low to the ground. I immediately stopped and decided this was the best place than none to just stand and wait for her to speak, and she did so a moment later.

Through the darkness she whispered, "You know of your fate, do you not, Faery?"

Tight lipped, I answered, "Yes. I know all of our fate. It's singular."

"Hmm," She grunted out. "So, tell me something, my dear,"

"Hmm?" I used her grunt to answer.

So quickly, she lit a match and threw it into the same basin she used at the castle. I jumped back as the multi-colored flames shot up brightly. My eyes flew to hers in a rushed movement and I stared at Mae who had a small, eerie smile on her lips. Her hand rose above the flames, and they began to swirl around her, never touching her skin at all.

"How much do you want to save Eric?"

My heart seemed to lighten instantly.

"Very much so," I told her. "Just tell me how."


	30. Paranormal

**Author's Notes:** Hello, Readers!

Short note! Get to reading! :P

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p>"Breathe in the aroma, Sookie," Mae's wispy voice came from behind the wall of flames. "Lean toward the fire, feel the warmth from within the basin, hear the embers sizzle and crack…."<p>

I did as I was bid and leaned forward. I wasn't close enough that I'd get burnt, but I did indeed feel the warmth and found it was soothing, a calming warmth that filled my entire being. I did in fact listen to the embers as they crackled, it sounded like a soft melody. The last thing to do was breathe in the aroma, but there was no aroma to smell.

Instead, when I took a deep breath, my head started to feel fuzzy, my eyesight glazed over, and I felt like I was tipping to my left side, so much that I would have soon fallen over if it wasn't for Mae who gripped me around my waist and held me upright. I tried to turn away from the basin, slightly afraid of how I was feeling all of a sudden, but Mae's grip on my waist tightened.

"Do not fear, my dear, this is what it is supposed to do." She explained slowly for my benefit. Her words seemed to be slowing and mashing together. "It's a form of Poppy, Sookie, one that grew a very long time ago, and given to me by a dear friend of yours."

"Friend of mine?" I whispered in question. "How do you know my friends? From Bon Temps?"

I heard her slight chuckle. "No, it is from a friend from this world. Nancy is her name, I believe." She paused for a second. "This is a very special kind of flower, Sookie, one that witches used a very long time ago. Nancy came to me, giving me this special flower. It has been passed down in her family for a very, very long time."

"Nancy…" Her name came softly from my lips. I kept her secret…

"Yes, my dear. There is nothing to fear. I promise you." Her voice was encouraging.

"What will it do?"

"The effects are starting already." She said as if I should have known that. "It's special because it will take you into a different state of mind. It will open your mind to more possibilities, you'll be more vulnerable for…._phenomenon_, if you will."

"Will you…stay with me?" I asked.

"I cannot." She said sternly. "This is not my destiny. This is not something I can meddle in."

"But you know what will happen?" I replied.

"I know what will happen while you are in this room, yes, but I still do not know what will happen from that point on, for you have yet to decide it all."

I nodded lazily. The fumes were clouding the room in a thick haze.

"Stand by the basin." She ordered, freeing me of her grasp. I wobbled. "If you need to sit, there is a chair a few feet behind you." She was now at the door. "Sookie?"

"Yes?" I answered, steeling my feet beneath me.

"I want you to be very open minded on what you are about to experience. Some things that you learn…you probably won't like. Just remember, you want to save him. That is what you said. Nothing in the past matters any longer."

And she was gone before I could ask her what she meant by that.

I stood there next to the basin and kept breathing in the fuzzy-inducing flower fumes. It wasn't like I couldn't. The room was completely filled in fog that the fire was producing. The effects were harsh. I didn't like how I was feeling. I felt sick, dizzy, and I couldn't see right. I closed my eyes, hoping that would help, but it only made me feel even more sick and dizzy.

But I held strong—as strong as I could anyway. If this was going to help me save Eric and save everyone else, then I needed to give it a shot. It was my only hope.

A few minutes had passed and new effects began to take over. I felt different—I was nervous; borderline frightened and I didn't know why.

The flames flickered suddenly, changing colors rapidly from orange, to blue, to purple, and then settled on red. The red fire danced wildly within the basin. Falling then rising over and over again, the flames spiraled. I blinked.

Then, chills ran up my spine. It was so bad that I shook violently where I stood. It was colder in the room now, even though I was standing next to an open fire.

A flash to my left startled me. I turned toward that direction and my eyes fell upon a shadow on the wall in front of me. A tall, pitched black shadowy figure. I knew then why I was nervous before, it was because I was no longer in the room alone. Every hair on my body stood at attention.

I was afraid to turn around, but my body betrayed me and my feet pivoted. I slowly turned. My heart was racing so very hard that I was afraid it would break free and rip right from my chest, but still I turned.

And there, right before me, waiting for me to turn was a woman, but she wasn't at the same time. Her body was somewhat transparent. I gulped and my eyes grew wide. She was a ghost. A real live ghost was standing before me, in this room, in this cottage.

"You must be the fairy." Her voice was like bells, a beautiful chime.

She was gorgeous…whatever she was.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you are not ready to speak yet. I understand that this must be difficult for you to understand. I'm Rachel, Nancy is from my descent."

"You…" I said, trying to wrap my head around everything. "You are a witch?"

"I was a very powerful witch when I was alive, though I am no longer. I haven't been alive for a very, very long time."

"What do you want?" I asked. "I mean, I needed to know how I could save—"

"Eric?" She finished for me, smiling as she did so. "Yes, but first I need to tell you my story, and why I am here."

I stood there staring at this woman—this _ghost_, because there really was nothing else I could do. I was shocked, my body wouldn't move. She wanted me to hear her story? What story? Do I really have time for this? I thought repeatedly.

I had to listen though. She was here for a reason and that reason will help me save Eric.

"Take a seat, Sookie." Rachel the ghost waved her hand to the chair Mae had told me about before she left.

"You know my name." I acknowledged as I hurried over to the chair and sat.

"I do. I've been following you for quite some time, Sookie." She paused when I gasped a little. "Does that frighten you? That I've been keeping an eye on you?"

"It doesn't_ bother_ me," I tried to explain. "It's just…something you don't hear every day from a gh—"

"Ghost?" She finished when I didn't continue. I gulped, she laughed. "Call me what you will, Sookie. I am a ghost."

"Please, continue." I urged her forward.

"Oh yes, my story," Rachel whispered. "My story…"

I watched as she glided toward the basin and held her hand over the flame. It changed to the color blue.

"You know of the story. It's the one your Gran had told you while you were a child. She had most of it right, but was lacking on a lot of the details that happened. She was correct of what she told you though. I am here to tell you of what those details were that she had not shared."

She said, turning to face me. She folded her translucent hands together.

"The Supernatural war was horrific. Bodies laid scattered across the forest to the left of our settlement. It became worrisome to my coven that lived among people who did not know that there were other creatures around them.

"In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. When there were only a few dozen of different Supernaturals going to war against each other, it was something easily covered up. The Supernaturals themselves cleaned up after each fight. They got rid of the bodies of the fallen, and kept further back where no normal human dared to travel alone. At that time, we witches felt no need to involve ourselves in what seemed to be a small and short lived battle of Supes.

"But over a short amount of time more Supernatural creatures began to swarm in, more in our small area. We witches even heard that other covens were having the same problem. We soon realized that this was going on not only in our small area of land, but other places in America, even all around the world. We had to commune, we had found ways to do that within our magic, and when we heard of this happening in other parts of the world, it became the biggest crisis known.

"They were afraid that the humans would find out about the other supernatural creatures. We witches have been hunted, burnt at the stake before. The other witches could not even think about what would become of the world if humans knew what else lingered among them.

"Their fears became very real. The Supernaturals became sloppy. With as many as they had in numbers now, it was too hard to take care of all the bodies of the fallen. And they began to move toward the settlement. Normal humans started to hear the fighting in the woods, the terrible noises after the sun had set. Then, it happened. The fighting broke out so close to the settlements that the normal humans saw the Supernaturals and all that they could do. The humans began seeking help from witches, but we knew, even if we helped, if the covens succeeded in ending the Supes, they would soon hunt us, because we are not normal like them.

"The witches became very edgy, because they had to accept and come out of hiding. It was getting far too serious. Humans were being killed carelessly because of the war."

"When you talk, you don't speak as a unity on some things." I said, making her pause her story. "You don't include yourself."

She nodded.

"I cannot include myself, because I did not have the same views as they. Yes, it was frightening, and yes, I didn't want humans to die, but my mind was elsewhere. It was in the battle with the vampire I loved."

"Oh, yes, Nancy told me about that. That you loved a vampire."

Rachel's wispy face grew sad.

"I did love a vampire and it's what casted me away from my coven. I could not stand beside them after the war became evident to the normal humans, after the people began begging for witches to come out of hiding to help. I knew what the witches decided to do, but I couldn't tell anyone. I couldn't let the vampire I loved know what should become of him, his people, and the other Supes. When we came into the coven, we had taken an oath; an oath of silence, and one of the hardest things to ever break.

"I could not tell him that the Fae came to my coven during the day and made an offer with them. The Fae promised that they would give us the magic to help open the portals that would cast away every supernatural, except for them. The covens began talking and finally decided to agree upon those terms.

"They saw it as the only way. I did not."

She paused. Rachel glided toward me before settling right in front of me.

"The night it happened, I went to_ him_. I broke my oath and that alone nearly killed me. But it had been too late and my coven caught sight of me as they moved in. I remember he pushed me behind his back, and told me to stay still. I tried to stop him as he moved forward.

"Every supernatural in our area came out of hiding behind the trees and stood around me as he walked forward. The coven looked past him and right at me. They didn't have fear in their eyes of the vampire stalking toward them ready to kill. They had a plan and one I knew I could not stop alone. We were doomed. I knew I held the same fate as the Supes because I had betrayed my coven.

"They opened the portal, and I flew through."

The room got quiet—so quite that it began to make me edgy. I didn't like it. I felt like there was more to the story. This doesn't help me save Eric. Her story doesn't, as sad as it is, it doesn't.

"Sookie, the day the Fae came to my coven, we learned of you. Of the Fairy that would be born. With the magic that we had, though great, the coven knew that they could not kill all of the Supernaturals. They could not undo all that had been done. And the Fae could not kill alone any longer, their numbers had diminished harshly. They all wanted revenge, and they could not get it without you. They could only transport the Supernaturals into another world.

"With you, you could get close to the King of Vampires. It had been foretold. That he would love you, and that you could kill every single one of them within this new world they called home. You were born with that power, to end Supe's lives, along with every human who betrayed humanity by being with a Supernatural Creature, including me. Because of whom you are and because of the trinket within your heart, you are tied with the Black Hole—now _holes_.

"Shocking, isn't it? That you are the reason they exist. The Coven and the Fae were clever, as you know now. They had many plans. If one failed, they had another one, and another, and so on. The reason they had so many was for the fact that the other side of the premonition was that you could fall in love with the Vampire King. That scared them, because then they would not get the revenge they thought they all deserved.

"If you had wanted to, you could have killed every single person that walks this world. It was within you, that power to control the Black Hole. You could control it to kill everyone, but you also had the power to simply destroy the Black Hole itself. The Coven and the Fae were very sure that you'd do what they wanted, but they were smart enough to think of a way to take away your control over the black hole if you chose to betray them.

"They had to test you and that came in the form of your Gran's letter. They had your Grandmother tell you the truth. Of what you are, of what Eric had planned—but no longer wished—to do to you in attempt to get back to Earth. They wanted you to kill Eric that night and be so scorned that you would then kill everyone else. But you did not do as they hoped and you failed their test. The trinket within your heart twisted and turned, and another part of its magic awakened.

"That is why there is more than one Black Hole. Your love for him is too strong. His love for you is too strong to act on his basic survival instinct to rip it from your chest and take it selfishly. In the conquest the Coven and the Fae planned out, had succeeded. You may be able to stop one, but not hundreds."

My heart lurched into my throat. This—this trinket that's inside of me, how could something so small cause so much destruction? My hand cupped my mouth and I held back a sob. To me it just seems like were all fucked. How can I save Eric when I'm connected to the Black Holes which I no longer can stop and I have a never ending magical trinket of destruction in my heart?

I sag lower into the seat.

"I don't know how any of this can help me." I admitted tearfully. "Everything I choose to do, thinking it is right, only pushes me deeper into this huge hole that I can't get out of."

Rachel kneeled before me, her wispy translucent hand coming to rest a few inches above my leg. It felt colder where her palm hovered.

"That's what they want you to feel, Sookie. They want you to feel as if there is no more hope and that you should give up." She said softly. "If you give up, the Black Holes will keep coming and killing until there is simply nothing and no one left."

I thought back over her story and compared it to my Gran's she told so long ago. I'm grateful Gran left out those _details_. Then, suddenly, a new uneasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I bit my lip as I tried to reason with the thought that popped in my head. It became forefront in my mind, it shouldn't have mattered at a time like this, but it did.

"You never…told me the name of the vampire you loved." My voice was hollow.

"I know. I did not think you needed to know that." She whispered and I had my answer.

"You were in love with Eric." It was a statement and one I knew before she even replied. "I guess that is why you are here too, to save him as much as I want to save him."

It grew quiet again, but this time I could be grateful.

"I loved him and at the time he cared for me too. I don't know if he cared as much as I did though." She said gently. "It was long ago, Sookie, and nothing to dwell on now. They told me of the fairy that would capture his heart, that you were his destiny and not me. I knew about you, long, _long_ before you were even created. I knew what that meant for me. I loved him, I wanted to save him, but I guess in a way, I wasn't doing it fully for myself anymore. And when I came through the portal and he followed shortly after, I used my magic to make him forget who I was."

"Why would you erase his memory of you?" I asked lamely.

"It was because we had to move on. He did not need to remember me and in a way, I wanted to forget what we had too; pretend like it never happened. What we did have no longer mattered, for we were in a different world and had different destinies. We had to build, find a way to coexist, and survive. I knew that the humans who came through the portal had to start populating, myself included.

"When I learned of you that fateful day, I realized, though I loved him more greatly than I loved anything else, it had been a fantasy; a moment in time. I knew I was not, and nor would I have ever been more than just a once in a life time fling to him. He was never one to stick around anyway. But you, I knew you would be his forever. I never believed that you'd ever hurt him or him you. I just _knew_ that you'd both would find a way to make it." She smiled when I looked up. "And one way or another, Sookie, you'll find a way."

"How am I supposed to save him, Rachel?" I gulped back a wave of anxiety and fear. "How can I do that? I _need_ to know."

"In your heart holds the key, Sookie." She said. "Do you remember what that trinket is called?"

"Something…Dor…" I replied; feeling embarrassed that I couldn't remember it.

"Cluviel Dor. It's a love trinket, Sookie. They may have changed what it does, but at the end of the day, it will always be what it has always been, and," Rachel spoke soberly, "Love. Conquers. All."

"But…!"

I only now noticed that she was faded from view. Fear laced my heart. I tried to grab hold, but I went through her and my hands only ended up into clenched fists. _No! You must tell me, Rachel! _I thought angrily.

"Make a wish _unselfishly_, at the right time, and offer the trinket to Eric." Her voice was so soft that I barely heard it.

"When?" I hollered, jumping to my feet.

"When the time feels right to you, Sookie," She whispered. Rachel was nearly gone from sight. "Only when the time feels right, will the trinket work. Eric must take the trinket from within you, Sookie. He must trust that you know what you are doing."

"But I don't know what I'm doing! Rachel!"

She was gone, but her wispy voice lingered for a final goodbye.

"You will know exactly what you have to do and give up when the time comes. You will know." Her voice faded slowly, the last I heard will haunt me until 'that' day comes, "And then, I will be waiting for you."

I sat down on the chair once more, looked about the room, trying to reel myself back in from what I had just experienced, but only ended up crying myself to sleep.


	31. Quiet talk

Author's Notes: Dearest, truest, readers: I must apologize for my very long absence. I am SO very sorry that I have not updated in months. Yes, months.

I have reasons for why I took the time off, but just telling you all my reasons really make up for making you ladies wait? Nope, no it doesn't. So, now I have to ask for forgiveness.

Anyway, I quit smoking. Yay! I had been wanting to do it for a very long time, and I finally had the courage to try. It was a losing battle for quite some time, but I'm starting to do much better with it. Nearly two and a half months since I've smoked. I'm pretty proud of myself.

It is the only reason I shall give you for my long time away. I just couldn't write; couldn't find time and more so, I couldn't find the will to actually want to write. But, hopefully now, I'm doing much better, and I continue to write. I have a few chapters already done for Folklore, just incase if I have a mental breakdown in the future. (Not that is to be expected or something crazy like that). But I do, so I hope to start updating regularly again. Not just for Folklore either. As of right now, I want to start writing for this story, Essential Destiny, Getting Hitched, and possibly finishing off Beautifully Undead. As of now, my other stories, which are….True Awakening and Duality are, unfortunately, on hiatus. I have forgotten where I wanted to take those stories, and for that, I want to stop and think about them again instead of pushing through without the guideline I used to have for those two. It's for my benefit and for you readers that do read, and or, hoped to read in the coming future.

And as I say this, and since I'm SO far behind on my stories that I should not even mention this, but there seems to be a new story brewing in my head, but for the first time in….forever, I have decided to go against posting something on the fly and leaving it up to my imagination and willpower to continue pounding out chapters for yet another story. I want to finish a few more before I even attempt to try to keep up with myself. (As you can see, I'm not good at it).

I hope you are not all mad at me, and I do hope most of you are still there. I had promised I would finish this story, and I hope to stay true to it. I do understand that some of you may want to wait until I finally finish this story before you read it again, and I am totally fine with that. My updates have become less and less frequent and that, in turn, makes people confused with the outline of the story. (I'm sort of confused as well, and I'm the writer….that's never good. Lol).

Thank you to the readers that have been trying to stay in contact with me, asking how I am doing every once in awhile. That does mean a lot to me. I've read all that has been left over in the last few months of me being away. I haven't replied to many reviews, and for that I am terribly sorry. But I do read them! I read every single one of them and I am very appreciative. It truly does mean the world to me.

Anyway, enough of the talk. I know that's not why you are here. *wink*

Hopefully you skip over any mistakes you may find. It _has_ been a while.

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch….

XOXO-SharaMoon

* * *

><p>My dream was frightening.<p>

The wind whistled violently; it was so loud it hurt my ears. I could feel it blowing against my clothing, trying to push me off my feet. My hair whipped across my face, sharp licks that felt as though it would tear my flesh. The sky was black; no, it was darker than black.

Then they came. The Black Holes.

They descended in synchronization. Huge tornado-like swirling masses. Lighting burst from the sides of the tornados, hitting the ground, crackling electricity that I just knew would kill if it struck me, but I still wouldn't move. I couldn't.

It was like I was rooted to the ground. I was locked in this one small area of space, watching Symperia crumble around me.

My heart pounded in my chest; a fast, racing melody of a very terrifying tune that only I would ever know.

A crumbling, cracking sound was the next thing I heard. The ground began to shake. It rattled me to my very bones. I watched as the earth began to break apart in front of me. Big chunks of ground lifting, hovering, and then joining the Black Holes.

There was nothing left under the ground that was lifted. Nothing. No space, nor time; _nothing _existed where the Black Holes tore apart what used to be land. I couldn't even attempt to explain it better than that.

I looked up, noticing that between the clouds, the sky, the atmosphere, was falling under the curse of the Black Holes too. Cracking like broken glass; popping like a bubble. The sky slowly started to peel away, and began disappearing in a bright gold shimmer. It became harder to breathe.

The Black Holes were closer now. I could hear the horrifying screams behind me. Desperate cries for help, and I realized in that moment, that I was no savior. I was a coward that could not possibly save them from what was eating away the land we stood on.

How _could_ I do that?

I heard my name being called by my vampire, somewhere off in the distance, but I couldn't turn to look at him. Tears fell from my eyes as I gazed up at the sky, watching as people flew to their deaths. The force of the wind snatched them up and hurled them directly into the pitch black masses.

I was terrified.

It is all my fault. I couldn't save them.

I'm a coward.

I looked down at my wrists and watched as chains started to appear, one link at a time until I was cuffed and locked to the soil. So this is my punishment. I am chained, because I am afraid of death. I'm utterly afraid to die.

I failed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered over the deafening screams.

* * *

><p>I awoke by a chilly feeling against my cheek. Butterfly soft touches of something I wasn't coherent enough to figure out what it was. The touches persisted on, and for awhile I was content enough to just let them continue. It was comforting.<p>

"Why are you crying?" A voice mumbled against my cheek.

The sensations, the touches, they were actually kisses against my face. They could only be from my vampire, the voice matched perfectly. I sighed again.

It was only a dream. I somehow knew it had to be, but it had felt _so _real. So real that I must have actually been crying while I slept.

I didn't speak as I pulled Eric closer to me. I needed his touch, to feel him against me. I didn't dare open my eyes. I wanted this moment to last for just a bit longer. Just the feeling of being content, with him as close to me as possible.

The daunting reminder of what Rachel had said in that 'state' I was in, not too long ago replayed in my mind. It was a daunting meeting; incredibly scary to think of what exactly she meant when she spoke her ominous words.

_And then, I will be waiting for you. _

It sent shivers down my spine. I didn't want to face the obviousness of what she implied when she spoke, but my dream certainly had. I knew in my mind that…that I must die, if I want to save Eric.

"Sookie," Eric whispered so softly, coaxingly.

His voice had drawn me out of the vast abyss I was slowly sinking in again, and I opened my eyes to see his looking directly into mine. It was as if he was trying to read me, look past my eyes and into my soul, as if he would find all the answers he needed here. He probably would have, if I had let him.

I closed my eyes again, and whispered his name in response.

It was softly spoken, and I was quite pleased with myself. Something told me that I should not tell him of what my future may hold in store for me. That, as it was, I probably didn't have much time left with him, and that I should not spend it on fear.

I didn't want that. If I was to die, then I want happiness before I go. What do people do if they know their life is about to end? Some probably wallow in that knowledge, while some go out and do everything that they have ever wanted to do in their life.

But, with my life, I only wanted a certain thing. Ever since I was little, I wanted a fairytale. I wanted to go to this amazing other world that supernatural creatures resided, and I wanted to meet a Vampire King. I did that. I came to Symperia. I met werewolves, elves, shifters, some evil creatures I couldn't really describe, vampires, and then I met the most wonderful vampire of them all, and I fell in love with him.

My story doesn't seem to have a happily ever after though. Should I dwell on that fact? No, I shouldn't. I just want to be happy now, and put my fears in the back of my mind for another time, for when the Black Holes will come for us. And…they _will _come for us.

Rachel said I would know what to do when the time comes, but what more do I do then die? How hard can that really be? What does she mean by I will know exactly what to do? Will I, in that instance, know something that I don't know now?

It was nothing I should be thinking about at that time.

Eric was becoming restless, I could tell. I didn't want him to start wondering about what I was thinking, what I was processing in my head. He probably wouldn't like what I was thinking.

"Sorry, I was just having a bad dream." I finally decided to answer his first question.

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" Eric asked, kneeling down in front of me. He parted my legs to nestle himself between me. He put his arms around my waist and pulled me against him, until he was almost cradling me. "I could help."

"I don't remember what the dream was about anymore." I lied gently, running my fingers through his long hair. "I don't think it was really anything at all."

"You were frightened earlier. I could feel it." He murmured against my neck, as he began to nuzzle.

I gulped. I forgot about the bond. "I was just worried about everything, Eric. It's…a lot to take in, you know."

He sighed, his arms tightening just slightly around my waist. His lips came in contact with my neck. "I know."

"And…we're running out of time." I whispered. "I can…feel something coming. It's sort of like how my Gran always knew how a storm was coming. Her knees would hurt." I giggled, not at what was coming for us, but at the simple memory I had of my Gran. My face grew serious. "I can feel it in my chest." I pointed. "I think my heart beats harder."

He leaned back, his eyes meeting mine for just a moment before he leaned down and put his head on my chest. His left ear was pressed against me, and he closed his eyes.

"It does beat harder, not by much, but I can tell the difference." He murmured, but his voice was off. His voice was dark and troubled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I promised.

It wasn't a lie. Physically, I was in perfect health, but mentally, I was reeling and my mind was racing. I wanted to focus on him and him alone, but my thoughts kept jumping. I was jumbled.

I realized that the bond had been shut between us suddenly, like a door being closed, and I peered down at Eric who still had his head on my chest, his eyes closed. He shut off the bond. He didn't want me to feel whatever was tormenting him right now. I could understand. I didn't want my own feelings somehow leaking out. That might ruin everything.

"Hey," I whispered. I might understand why he closed the bond, but that didn't mean I liked how he was acting. "Let's go outside. The fresh air might be good for the both of us."

It was quiet for a moment, before I heard his slight chuckle. It was a beautiful sound, and one that calmed the turmoil within me.

Eric looked up once more, his eyes meeting mine. "Let's take a walk." He agreed.

As we exited the little room I was asleep in, and moved into the living area of the cottage, I noticed Pam standing behind Mae who was bent over an easel and canvas. She was painting something, but I couldn't tell what. Pam was blocking my view.

Eric put his hand on my back and moved me away from whatever it was that they were doing, and over by the door. He stopped to put my coat around my shoulders. I put my arms in the sleeves and waited for him to open the door, which he did very quickly.

"What is Mae doing?" I had to ask as he closed the door behind us.

"She is trying to peer into the future again. It seems as though she is getting something from what she is doing, but these things can take a long time before the picture is clear." He answered. "She likes to draw out what is happening. She can determine what the future holds after the painting is finished. She says it's the best way for her to be accurate, and not forget a single thing she sees."

"I see," I nodded.

We stepped off the platform and into the snow. It was quiet now. The wind wasn't blowing and it wasn't still snowing heavily. There were only a few flurries that fell every now and again. In the silence, it was peaceful.

I let out a deep breath and watched as it came out in a fog. It was chilly, but it was bearable now.

"It usually doesn't get this cold in Louisiana." I muttered more to myself than anyone.

"Louisiana?" Eric asked puzzled.

"That's where I'm from." I explained. "It's nice there. It doesn't get really, really cold like it does here."

"Do you miss Louisiana, Sookie?" Eric questioned, stepping up to me.

"I do," I replied with a gentle gulp that pushed my emotions back down into the pit of my stomach. "I miss a few things from where I grew up. My home…my hometown...my brother."

"Your brother?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "You have a brother?"

I smiled gently. "Yeah, I do. His name is Jason. He was going to get married, maybe he already did…." My voice trailed off.

"You were close to him?" Eric asked, grabbing my hand and kept walking.

"I was." I said. "I didn't have very many friends back home. I was a loner, I guess. He was always there for me."

"A loner," Eric repeated the word quietly. He wasn't looking at me. "Sounds…_lonely_."

I gripped his hand a little tighter. "It was, at times, but in the end, it made me who I am." I shrugged. "I guess, it's one reason why I always wanted to come here. To Symperia."

"You knew of this land?" Eric peered over at me.

I smiled. "Well, it began with a story."

"Ah, the one your dearest Gran had spoken of in that…_letter_ of yours?" There was still some anger in his words when he spoke of the letter that almost destroyed everything, but he didn't speak with such malice that would make me want to defend my departed Grandmother.

"You remembered," I nodded. "The very same."

"You were fond of me even back then," Eric grinned, pulling me in front of him and laying his other hand across my stomach, pulling me back against him and effectively holding me in place. His lips grazed my earlobe. "You've known of me for quite some time, in your young human life, but alas, I have known of you, _the Fae_, longer." He smirked, trying to stay light with his words.

I held back a giggle.

"It's true though." I pressed on, to get back on target of what I was saying. "When I was little, I believed it was real, with all my heart I did, but when I got older, I just thought they were fairytales; _folklore_. I never, in a million years, would have believed that all of this was real."

"Did your story explain what was to come of everything here?" He paused. "But, I guess not, from how your Grandmother was speaking in the letter. You knew nothing of the horrors inside Symperia."

"I'm glad I didn't." I spoke gently. "I didn't want my dreams to be tainted by what the witches and fairies caused here. I had enough nightmares of what the witches did to you before you ever landed here in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Eric said over my head, still holding me still in the snow.

"You know, they forced you through the portals, even though it wasn't your fault. That it could have all been avoided if the Fae just listened to you." I paused. "All I knew then, in the story, was that they forced you through a portal. I didn't like knowing that. Now that I know everything, seen everything, I'm happy I didn't know every single detail."

Eric didn't speak. The growing silence was both comforting and confusing. I wondered if I said something that I shouldn't have.

"I don't remember much of what happened when I first landed here in Symperia. I don't ever even remember hitting the ground after coming through the portal. It's like that memory isn't there, though it should be." He whispered.

Rachel. The witch that had been in love with him, and the ghost I just talked to not long ago. I gulped. She took his memories of her away, and maybe in the process, accidentally took some of his first moments of landing here.

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't exactly tell him of the woman that put _our _destiny before her own desires to stay with him. She, as much as it hurts me to even think it, must have loved him a great deal to let him go.

"Maybe, you just don't want to remember that moment." I replied softly.

Eric's lips that had been hovering over my ear, slid against my temple now. He placed the softest kiss on the corner of my eyebrow.

"Maybe," He allowed. "It does not matter any longer though, does it? I have you…."

Eric's voice trailed off and for some reason, I strongly wanted to say _for now at least _at the end of his words. I shook off my darker thoughts, for lighter ones.

"So, back to what we were saying. I'm from a little town called Bon Temps, in Louisiana. It's a quaint little town, only an hour away from a city called Shreveport. I like it there, in Shreveport, I mean. It's was always nice to get away from the small town that I grew up in every once in awhile. I think you'd like it where I lived."

"Sounds nice. I wonder what your cities look like compared to the ones here."

"_Different_." I laughed and he joined in with a small chuckle.

We continued to talk about Earth, of the land we both were born in. He told me of how it was when he walked the land, and it was almost enchanting, in a way. It was a much simpler time. He could not recall all of his memories, since it was so long ago that he was there. Even to me, it seemed hard to explain some things about how it was in this time and era, and I haven't been _here_ for a very long time.

I told him of how I was when I was younger. How hard it was for me because of my 'gift' of being a mind reader. He listened intently to my every word.

"It must have been hard for you." Eric said after the silence grew steadily longer. "To know that you were different from every other human. I can understand the appeal you had to my fairytale story."

I smiled gently.

"I always was drawn to the idea." I nodded. "I knew I was different, but I never imagined that the reason for my little quirk was because I was the Fairy." I shook my head. "I guess, I just…wanted to be around other people, other beings, that were different in some way like me. That way…I wouldn't be as big of a freak as I was on Earth."

"You were not a freak." Eric said to me, grabbing my chin and making me look into his eyes. "You are _special_, Sookie. Never consider yourself as such, I do not like it."

"It's just how I viewed myself, Eric. It was hard, but now that I know, I can view myself differently. You've helped me do that." I gulped. "I know it's been hard on us both lately, from what we've went through just recently, but I'm glad I'm here with you. I'm glad I've met you. I'm glad that we love each other enough to try to get through some of the toughest things no two people in a relationship should have to go through."

I felt a pang of guilt suddenly and I was glad that the bond was still shut off tightly. I'm guilty because I am keeping something from him. I'm keeping a _few_ things from him, but I couldn't tell him. It was for the best that I keep my unlucky future to myself.

Just then, the door of Mae's little home burst open, slamming against the wall. Eric turned his head quickly, dropping my hand that he was holding on tightly to just moments ago. I leaned around him to look at Pam and Mae who both were coming at us quickly, running.

Their faces became more and more clear as they approached, and I could tell that whatever they were coming to tell us was not good news whatsoever. I gulped and almost unknowingly grabbed Eric's shirt from behind in my fist and held tightly.

"What?" Eric said, his voice steady but urgent.

"There will Black Holes forming in the distance very shortly." Mae replied. "Many of them, Eric. The sky is dark, the air is thick, the surge of electricity is leaving chills among your people. They will start to form around the castle shortly."

I felt my heart jump up into my throat. I almost choked.

Eric turned around and our eyes met. His searched mine, pain and even fear I clearly saw in those blue hues. I'm sure he had seen my fear. I couldn't hide it.

This was really happening. My fate was coming a lot sooner than I would have liked it to.


	32. Chapter 32

**Author's Notes:** Hello!

Big, big, BIG news, everyone! I have a beta! *cheer* This chapter I have for you today was looked over and heavily fixed by dear, sweet _**msbuffi**_. She contacted me a few days ago and offered her guidance and help. I jumped at the chance. As you know, I didn't have a beta, which made this story lack, in my opinion. Now I do. It's time for a celebration! *wink*

I want to let it be known through here that this story will be undergoing 'construction' very soon. A few chapters at a time, starting from the beginning, I will be tweaking with the help of msbuffi to make the story...more _readable_ for some. I have no idea if I will update it all at once, or periodically. We'll have to wait and see.

Thank you everyone that reviewed! Especially the warm good lucks for quitting smoking! They definitely warmed my heart and made me smile! I'm still going strong! I didn't get to reply to your reviews, but this week, I promise to do just that!

A special thanks to **msbuffi**. Give her a round of applause, people! I probably owe her my soul now, eh? *giggle* I heart you, msbuffi! :P

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Thirty-Two - Internal Guilt<strong>

"_We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So are regrets_." - Marilyn Monroe

* * *

><p>We all stood frozen for just a moment, maybe it was longer, I couldn't really tell. Surprisingly though, I was the first one to move. My eyes blinked, my lips mashed together, and my hands balled into fists. The numbness that engulfed me only seconds ago faded into a fear so great I wasn't sure if my body could take it.<p>

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Eric twitch where he stood. In the back of my mind, I just knew he had felt that rush of fear from me, though our bond had remained closed. It had been too strong not to break through that shield between us. Nevertheless, he made no other move. He looked like a statue. I didn't like that. He was too still, too quiet, and that frightened me even more.

I wanted him to comfort me, to tell me he'd find another way, but in reality, there wasn't any. We acted too slowly. _No, we hadn't_, I thought sadly. I was trying to pacify myself. We couldn't find another way to begin because this was our destiny; this was my destiny. Fate liked to bite you in the ass and play out the way it wanted, and no interference, no matter how badly you fought, would change it. I had figured that out the hard way.

There was no escape.

There was no way out.

I was going to die.

The fear was crippling, but why? I _knew _I had to die. Why hadn't I come to terms with it?

Maybe it was because it was even more real as it grew even closer. Death was knocking at my door and I was terrified to answer.

I gulped back the bile that had risen in my throat. Suddenly I felt as though the world was going to give way under my feet, but I stood firm. I couldn't just break down. To do so would ruin everything I needed to do, and wouldn't solve a thing. I still wanted to save Eric, right? I wanted to save his people, right?

The instinct to preserve my own life felt as if it was going into overdrive, pumping adrenaline into my system to the point where I felt as if I'd burst.

_No_.

My fate was my own and I'd be damned if I let instincts control me any longer. _Eric was more important than my own life. _ One life lost could save hundreds, if not thousands, of people who had been stuck here in this world for so long.

"We have to go," Mae whispered into Pam's ear but it had been loud enough that I heard her as well.

I watched as Pam finally blinked. She cast her eyes cast in my direction before they turned and surveyed Eric who still stood motionless. Carefully, slowly, and remaining cautious as if Eric would begin snapping and tearing the world apart himself, she glided next to his side gently placing her right hand on his forearm.

"Eric, we have to return to the castle," Pam said, in a tone I had never before heard her use. It was a loving and quiet tone. Right away, I realized she was trying to pacify him.

It was quiet for five minutes, five long minutes I counted in my head.

"I understand," he finally whispered.

Eric looked up at Pam, grabbed her hand gently, and let it go. It fell to her side. As he turned in my direction, I watched as Pam closed her eyes then frowned. I didn't quite understand, but I knew it had to do with their bond. Whatever Eric was feeling, he was letting her feel it as well.

For just a moment, I was jealous. I wanted to feel what it was that he was feeling. I wanted to share his pain, but then I thought better of it. It wouldn't do any good and it probably would only serve to make me feel worse.

Without another word, Eric marched over to me, grabbed my left wrist with his right hand, and turned us around. We began walking with Pam and Mae following closely behind. We continued back the same way as our original starting point.

"We need a car," Pam said from behind, her voice floating to my ears through some sort of hazy way. I wasn't really paying attention because of the nonstop buzzing repetitions in my own head. "We will never make it back before daylight if we go on foot."

I turned to look up at Eric and saw his silent nod in response. I was trying desperately to catch his eyes, but he was avoiding my gaze. I hated this. How much more time did I have, really, to be able to look into his eyes, to remember his face before my time ended?

Another ghostly shiver ran up my spine. Then before I knew it, I slipped on some ice and jerked forward, but Eric was there to catch me. His grip on my wrist tightened as he pulled me back against his chest.

"Careful," he gruffly warned.

Unbeknownst at the time, that one word was the last he would speak to me the entire trip back to the castle.

We eventually found a car parked in the driveway of an old farmhouse after having walked for at least two hours.

"Maybe there are people inside," I pondered, jerking my head in the direction of the house. There was a single light on inside.

We trudged up the stairs together and I marched over to peek through the window. At the same time, Pam kicked in the door and walked through the threshold. That alone should have given off warning signs, but I remained looking through the window. What met my sight was something I had never expected.

There was a younger looking couple, a _human _couple, sitting together on a loveseat. Their hands were interlocked tightly. Everything would have seemed normal if it wasn't for the gaping holes in the back of both of their heads.

My hand not being held flew up to my mouth as I looked on in horror. This was something you didn't ever want to see, but simply couldn't look away from.

"They took their own lives," Mae said gently, pointing to the two guns in the laps of their owners. "They must have wanted an easy way out of this mess. I don't blame them." She tugged on my arm, moving me away from the window and into the house.

_I_ could. _I_ would have saved them. They didn't have to kill themselves.

Yet, I was not exactly angry. I felt sorry for them. I felt like I somehow betrayed them.

"They won't be in need of their car," Pam replied, and I found myself hissing in her direction. Even for a vampire, her comment was uncalled for, and callous.

Being Pam, she simply shrugged her shoulders and turned to locate the keys.

It took ten minutes to find the single key on a small keychain hanging by a nail on the wall. Pam made sure it was the right one before we left.

The car ride was silent and painful.

Eric still hadn't spoken and that worried me even more, as if I didn't have enough on my plate already. I tried to get him to talk a few times until I figured it was futile, so I curled up in the back seat next to the window. He didn't speak though his hand continued to grip my wrist so tightly I was sure it cut off the circulation a few times. Finally, he loosened his grip. His fingers glided down until his hand wrapped in my own and his fingers interlaced with mine. I turned my head slowly, leaning back against the seat just staring at him, but he wouldn't look in my direction. He wouldn't let me _in_.

Moreover, I found that his silence hurt so very much.

He gazed out the window as I did moments ago, lost in his own thoughts. These were thoughts that may have everything to do with me and how he could save me somehow.

_It's over. _I found myself thinking, as if willing him to hear my own thoughts as I do others. _We lost, but I promise you…I will save you._

Of course, he was no mind reader. I'm glad he wasn't. If he knew what I planned on doing, though I wasn't sure exactly how I would be doing it yet, he would end up doing something incredibly stupid by trying to preserve my life instead of his own.

However, in the back of my mind my guilt decreased. I told him—not directly—what I was going to do. I was going to save him. I would lose my life and though I was terrified, I was going to do it.

* * *

><p>The drive seemed to be taking forever. With each turn of the wheel, I knew we were getting closer to our destination, yet no matter how quickly Pam was driving, and she was driving fast, it did nothing to make time speed up. This had to have been the longest journey I had ever taken. Time was moving too slowly. I didn't want that, I didn't want it to drag on, and yet, I also didn't want it to go too fast. I couldn't decide which I wanted more.<p>

As we continued, Pam rolled down her window, and the cold air hit my face. I sighed in relief. It had been so stifling in the car that I felt as if I wasn't able to breathe anymore. I closed my eyes as the chilly air splashed against my face, cradling me in its cool breath.

My mind seemed to calm to the point of almost blankness, yet nothing was forgotten. I still knew my duty to both myself and to Eric, however; the fear in my chest started to loosen its thorny grip on my heart.

I thought about the better times I've had here: the masquerade when Eric asked me to become his pet, going for a walk with him, working at Merlotte's with Tara and Sam, meeting Nancy, and buying the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. I thought about the moments when Alcide, my overprotective bodyguard, stood by my side, the morning I had spent with Chef Michael when he told me his sad story with a happy ending with his wife Rose, and many more moments with…_my friends_.

I had friends here. I never really had friends before I came here.

All at once, the blankness and the calm that swept over me just a little while ago faded away, only to be replaced by sadness. I had never quite felt sadness before of this magnitude. I couldn't quite explain it, but it felt like homesickness. I missed them, and I would miss them still once I was no longer here. Would they miss me?

The answer "yes" replayed in my mind. They would miss me, but they'd live on. They would mourn me and then move on. That's what I wanted from everyone because I was willing to die to save the only friends I have ever had, even if I only knew them for a short while. I wanted them to be happy so I could give them this gift, and they'd accept it.

I looked over Eric slowly. My eyes traveled up his long, strong shoulders to his beautiful blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, to his ridged jaw line, and then rested my gaze simply on his magnificent profile. My eyes tightened.

He would mourn me, but I don't know if he'd ever move on. He would never accept my gift.

The thorny grip tightened again around my heart so tightly that I'm sure there were puncture wounds. Tears stung my eyes, but I wouldn't let them fall.

I felt as though I couldn't breathe all over again. I made a noise close to a soft whine as I turned my gaze back to the window. Eric's hand gripped mine tighter once more. As I struggled with myself to remain quiet and not cry, my mind betrayed me. Instead of consoling me, it tortured me with ideas of Eric hating me for choosing death to save his life instead of dying together.

I didn't want to die together, because I knew of a way to save him. I wanted—I _needed_ him to live on for me. Yet, I would be forcing this upon him, throwing it into his lap, and shoving him off to Earth alone.

_No, he wouldn't be alone_, I thought.

My eyes peeked over the headrest of the front seat to look at the back of Pam's head. _Pam _would be with him. I knew at that moment that I would have to talk with her at some point. I couldn't tell her exactly what I had planned, but I needed to let her know. If I couldn't be there for him, she needed to be. She would need to help fill the void I was obviously going to leave.

_Am I selfish? _I pondered suddenly. No, I don't think I am. I want to save him; save everyone.

So then…why do I feel like I'm being selfish?

* * *

><p>At some point, I must have fallen asleep, because I <em>had<em> to have been dreaming. He would never act this way toward me in reality so it had to be a dream.

_Please, let this be a dream. Just let this be a nightmare._

Eric towered over me, breathing heavily against my neck, the neck he had bitten and left an open gaping wound. He tore my skin in anger, growling in a deep, guttural, savage way that made me tremble to my very bones. Blood was gushing from my wound. I stumbled back, trying desperately to get out of his grasp, but failing as his nails dug into my arms breaking the skin. I bit back a strangled cry.

I felt the blood slipping down the side of my neck warm and fast as it drenched my shoulder and the side of my shirt in blood. Still the blood coursed on, sliding down my arm to my fingertips where it dripped to the ground and began staining the grass and mud with crimson.

His eyes, I could never forget how they looked! Crazed, like a lunatic; like a predator who had caught his prey and was about to devour it, but his eyes held more intelligence than a normal animal. The blue hues and those dark pupils that were dilated so large showed me his hurt and anguish.

"You don't get to decide," he said, with his voice harsh as he snapped at me with his teeth.

"You do not make that decision for me."

"Eric, let me go! Let me go!" I cried, trying to pull away from him with all my might, but to no avail. He was simply too strong for me.

The screams of terror around us were so loud I was sure my ears would start to bleed. The wind whistled, blowing Eric's hair behind him, blowing mine in my eyes as I trembled.

I knew that behind me there would be salvation, not my own, but his. If I could just get away, I could save him. I could save him and die, but _he wouldn't let me go_.

"You do not get to leave me!" His scream echoed above the others. "We go together. We die together."

His right hand left my shoulder as his nails extracted themselves from biting deeper into my skin. I looked down as he offered his hand, and placed upright in his palm was a stake; the same stake that had fallen from Gran's letter.

"Take it, kill me," he whispered, roughly pushing the stake into my hand. "We could die like this before _they_ get us."

I couldn't stop staring at it.

_Just do it. Just take the stake, ram it through his chest, and then you can die together. You don't have to fear death alone._ My mind whimpered like a small, lost, desperate child. _He doesn't want to live without you. You can't force him to do this on his own, live on his own without you. This is what he wants. He wants to die with you. He wants to die by your hand._

"No!" I cried out. "NO!"

The wound in my neck was severe. My heart was already starting to slow and flutter like a bird with a broken wing. He condemned me to die by his own hands, the way _he_ wanted me to die. He didn't want me to save him, or his people even though he knew I could. In addition, he wanted me to kill him, to condemn him, just as he had done to me.

"Don't do this to me. Don't force this on me." His voice was a broken plea. "Don't make me live without you, Sookie."

Eric bent, falling to his knees and bringing me with him for I no longer could hold my own weight. We sat there in the grass, in my pool of crimson blood, and gazed at each other.

"You can't die. You have to live on for me. I promise…," I stopped myself.

What could I possibly promise him? What did I know? There was something in my mind, something just out of reach; something my subconscious knew, but I could not obtain it in my conscious state.

Before I could continue, Eric smiled very sadly like a broken man. My brows furrowed.

"Too late," he murmured. "We go together this way then."

Then I saw it. A Black Hole had descended upon us, picked us up in its powerful wind, pulling us away from each other in the process, and began to tear us apart - into _nothing_.

* * *

><p>I woke with a start, jumping ever so slightly in my seat. I brought my hand up, wiping the sweat from my forehead and the loose tears that must have, at some point, sprang forth from my eyes. I cursed under my breath, shifting in my seat so I wouldn't be caught wiping my tears away.<p>

My stupid dreams that torment me to no end might very well be the death of me. Couldn't I just go about my destiny without my own mind, body, and soul betraying me in the worst way possible? Why would they make me see all different possibilities and different scenarios that could possibly play out when the time comes that I will, in fact, die?

Why must I fear or even begin to regret my decisions? Why feel guilty for wanting and needing him to stay alive? Why about that is so bad? What is it that is so bad to have him live on for me? Why does my mind want me to believe it's selfish? I'm giving up my own life, for God's sake! I'm sacrificing my own existence for someone else, for someone who needs to live on! He's spent thousands of years living, but I could not, and I _would not_ allow him to die because of those witches!

_Maybe he will view his life as nothing, not worth living if you no longer are. _My subconscious was snapping at me_._

_Stop it! Stop betraying me! Stop making me fear not only my future, but also the future of the one I love! _I screamed vehemently back at the voice of my subconscious.

He had to live on; there was nothing else at the end.

I could not explain it to myself, but he had to live, and his people had to live. The world we both called home at one point or another needed a being like Eric Northman to walk across its plains. It was the way nature intended it. He and his people were never meant to be sent here.

"We're almost there."

Pam's voice made me jump out of my own turmoil. I breathed deeply, trying to settle my pounding heart. I was sure I was going to have a panic attack soon.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to gather my strength, when I felt cool fingers against my chin and my head being turned. I opened my eyes to see Eric's blue hues looking at me solemnly. He said not a word, of course. He hadn't said a word the whole time, but his eyes held mine pulling me into their depths, making my heart slow it's racing, and making the anxiety slowly fade.

"Holy sh…" Pam's voice rang out once more.

The car came to a halt. Pam and Mae got out of the car quickly, while Eric and I moved at a more sluggish pace following their motion and hopping out of the car.

The sight of the castle off in the distance was both a blessing and a curse. I could hear loud talking, a commotion, as if there were a gathering of a crowd of people somewhere. We were still too far away to pinpoint exactly where the voices were coming from, but I knew. They were at the castle itself. We were standing in the small town, Småstad, and the car had come to a halt just a few yards away from Merlotte's. I called this town home for a short while.

Nevertheless, the feeling of being "home" had not come, for there was something looming in the sky, off in the distance, something not welcome around these parts. It was dark as it was still nighttime, but the near planet in the sky that I had come to love gazing upon was partially covered by very dark, black clouds. The luminescence of the close planet was nearly completely obscured by the blackness of the clouds in front of it. It looked as though the clouds were stealing away its light.

The black puffy mass was rolling in off in the distance and it was so dark I couldn't really see where it began, or where it ended; if there was an end. I was starting to doubt there was one. It blended too well in the night sky, however; if you looked closely, there was light within the dark mass itself. There were fractions of purple light that burst suddenly, making the dark mass light up, changing the shade of the black only slightly before returning to the darkest of dark.

We all stood there watching as it seemed to just be hovering off in the distance, still far away from the castle and still far away from us, but it was coming nonetheless.

"Mae, look into the future. See how long we have exactly." His voice was low, much lower than I had ever heard it.

"Eric, you know that I can't—" Mae began to protest, but was cut off effectively.

"Find out." His command held no room for argument.

I watched as Mae closed her eyes tightly and began to whisper. I couldn't say that there were words to her murmurs. She was simply going too fast for my mind to decipher. She began to rock back and forth, slowly at first, before her actions became violent jerks. I walked around to the front of her, feeling fear for what this woman was being put through. I knew there had to be pain involved. She was hissing; her murmurs were jagged and jumpy. As I came around to her face, I noticed there was blood seeping from the corners of her eyes, her nostrils, the corners of her mouth, and even her ears. Still she pressed on, even when she fell to her knees, which she did not do alone. In one quick movement out of instinct maybe, my hands flew out and caught her as we both went crashing to the ground. I held her tightly in my arms, my eyes wide, trying to protect her from the obvious pain. Her body twitched violently with her arms grasping my own tightly.

"I-Is she alright?" I whispered as she moaned.

"She is trying to see something she shouldn't be able to determine. There is much working against her at the moment," Pam said gravely. "We shouldn't know when our own ends will come, but she's trying."

"It's going to kill her!" I growled out. "Mae! Mae, stop it! It's okay, you don't have to…"

Before I could finish, Eric's hand came down to my back as he grabbed my shirt and pulled. He yanked me to my feet. I yelped loudly as I spun around before crashing against his chest. Pam took my place before Mae could fall flat on her face.

"She has to see how long we have. It was my order," Eric said. His voice was harsher than I think he meant it to be. "Don't go against my command."

I gulped, casting my eyes down to my feet and stood there pitifully. The first words he spoke to me this whole time, and he makes me fear the future once again. "Don't go against me!" is what he meant. I would be going against him shortly, wouldn't I? I shook my head. It was something I couldn't think about.

Instead, I just turned and gazed down at pitiful Mae who struggled, twitched, and writhed in pain for what seemed like hours. I couldn't determine how much time passed as I watched her whimper and cry out, her murmuring only stopping after a particular painful jerk made her lose her focus.

It was like watching someone having a seizure for far too long.

When it finally ended, her body limply fell against Pam. She laid there for a long time, not moving, nor breathing. The only indication she was not dead, though she already was in a way, was because I witnessed her twitching a few times.

Pam was busy wiping the blood away with a part of her shirt. Eric hadn't moved, and hadn't let go of me the entire time. I held my breath, afraid of what I just witnessed, but more afraid to find out the answer of what was coming and how long we had before the looming clouds reached the castle. How much time did we have before Dooms Day was upon us?

"Not long," Mae barely whispered. As she spoke, there was a gurgling sound in the back of her throat. I wondered why it was like that until she rolled over and spit out a good amount of blood. I winced. "I can't be for sure, but no more than a day, a_ full_ day."

One day.

_Twenty-four hours_.

That's really all we had left?


	33. Chapter 33

**Author's Notes: **This has been a long time coming! I'm back! I'm so sorry that it has taken nearly a year to get this to you all. Life always seems to get in the way. I have read your reviews, your messages, and I have always thought of you all. I have missed you lovely ladies!

I have promised that I would finish this story and I meant it! It's just taken me a very long time to get everything I needed to get done.

You will not have to worry about too long of time between the updates from now on. I have finished the last few chapters for _Folklore_! AHHHH! Well, I have finished the rough drafts, the overall feel of it. As soon as I go over them once more, I will be sending them off to my beta for her to fix my jumbled messes! :P But, so far it seems that we have 3 chapters left, after this one. :/ We'll have to see if I have anything up my sleeve for something in the future. Hmmmmm...

Give my beta some love. _Msbuffi_, you are one in a million. ;) Thanks for sticking with me!

As always, I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch! Well, except for the plot. I do own that shit. ;)

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Three - Losing it<strong>

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><p>If you closed your eyes tightly in the silence on that cold night and if you listened closely, you could hear the black clouds moving. A slow rolling thunder spoke of how it was coming closer; its approach getting nearer. You could hear the whistling of the wind in the trees; hear the small crackle of lightening, and growling boom of the thunder still seemingly far off in the distance. I couldn't quite remember.<p>

I tried to recall how Gran had once explained the way to measure how far off a storm was... I couldn't _quite_ remember.

Crackle and boom.

One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four one-thousand, five one-thousand…_that's a mile_…..

I stopped trying to count after quite some time had passed. It was still too far away, but it was much _closer_ than _twenty-four_ hours away. It was not a normal storm either, something I had to take into account. It was a magical storm on a different plane than Earth. There were different rules it followed.

I felt a nudge to my back. I blinked, trying to focus my eyes. Things were a bit blurry, but there was no way I'd allow my tears to even form now. After another nudge, I turned halfway around to see who it was trying to get my attention, coming face to face with a strong chest. I couldn't look up into his eyes now.

I felt defeated.

Though I was standing with three other people who faced the same unfathomable, unrealistic thought of there being only twenty-four flipping hours left (those which we could possibly be spending together), I felt alone. I knew why. I was the only one truly and undeniably facing death in our little group. Of course, I wouldn't tell them.

Guilt….

Some more guilt….

So much guilt I felt as if I was swimming in a sea of it.

It wouldn't change anything.

I felt like a broken record now with the same thoughts replaying over and over in my head. I would die, he would survive. He might hate me for it, he might not. I would be a sacrificial lamb and a savior to these people. He would go back to Earth and live. I was not going to change my mind.

In one fleeting moment—when I thought I might have snapped and gone crazy—I wondered if Jesus felt fear before He died for our sins. I felt as though I may have had a bit in common with Him.

My faith began to creep to the forefront of my mind. As I stood there thinking and praying for all it was worth. Praying that Eric would survive and thrive without me. I couldn't believe he was a damned creature of the night, a creature my faith would not accept nor offer salvation. Regardless of it all, I still prayed. What's the harm?

Without words or meeting his gaze, I wrapped my arms around his strong middle hooking my fingers together around his back. I encased him in my hug tightly as I rested my forehead against his chest, and closed my eyes. For one so strong and sturdy, the embrace was soft. For a moment, I alone carried out the hug before his arms encircled me. He pulled me even closer, molding my body with his own. We fit together perfectly. He bent slightly with his head coming to rest by the side of my own and his chin hovering just above my right ear. He turned slightly, burying his face in my hair. I heard him inhale slowly and felt his chest expand against my own. He held his breath for a bit before he slowly exhaled, with it shaking slightly as he did so. He didn't need to do this, he did not _need _breathe, but I supposed he was holding in my scent. I'm sure it relaxed him as he'd done time and time again.

I held onto him even tighter.

The sounds of the people we knew were off in the distance toward the castle. They raised higher, coming to life once more. Somehow, it seemed like a vague, hazy, other world and one that didn't really matter to me at the moment. What mattered more was standing here in Eric's embrace this way, holding on and never wanting to let go.

I wanted to remember this. I wanted to remember how it felt to be in his arms. I wanted to remember how soft yet scratchy the material of his jacket felt against my face, and remember the cool breeze blowing around us. I wanted to remember how he smelled with his musky, yet sweet scent of cologne and to remember _him_ for when I could no longer be this close.

I willed my tears to not fall, to not betray me so much again. I was surprised when they didn't and I was grateful. I didn't want to feel sadness, fear, or anything really. I simply wanted to just exist with his arms around me, just for a moment. That's all I asked for and that's what I received.

I was blessed, as I liked to think. God, or whatever higher being who was truly out there, gave me that one moment where we just existed. One moment where we were frozen together; hearing nothing, seeing nothing, feeling nothing, except each other. Nothing else mattered.

The moment was gone as swiftly as it began, and I was the one to break the contact. My hands fall apart, slide out from behind him, and then lay loosely at my own sides. He did the same seconds later. Then, he very carefully leaned forward just enough to kiss my forehead. I closed my eyes tightly.

Pam had still been helping Mae regain strength, which is why we hadn't been able to move on. They were still crouched on the ground. I found myself kneeling a moment later as well, having felt like I stood on my feet too long. I watched as Mae wiped the remainder of the blood from her face.

"How are you feeling?" I found myself asking.

"No worse, no better," she replied, and I found it odd that she could smile. "Having said that, just give me one more second and then we will return."

"Easier said than done," Pam joined the conversation. "We supposedly have twenty-four hours to live and there are people outside the castle, many people from the sounds of it."

"Are you afraid?" It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

Never, ever, ever, ever, _EVER _ask Pam if she is afraid.

Her head snapped in my direction and she glowered at me with such force that it seemed as if she could melt the skin from my bones. I quickly looked away, shifted my seated position, coughed, and acted as if I hadn't spoken a word. I heard her growl.

"It's not that I'm _afraid _of the people themselves," She snorted. "It's more in knowing what is going to happen when we tell them they are all going to die. They will riot and there will be chaos. We still have twenty," she looked at her watch, "three hours and fifteen minutes. Do you really want to be in such a mess for so long a time? Do you want to deal with their unendurable pleas?"

"I—"

"Exactly," She cut me off. "So, we decide what we are going to do. What are we going to tell them?" Her head turned in Eric's direction.

My gaze followed hers. Eric had his back to us now, his eyes cast in the direction of the coming storm.

"Get up and let's go." He replied.

"Didn't you hear me, Eric? Shouldn't we have a plan of what we are going to say?" Pam relented.

"I_ said_," He turned, but didn't exactly look at any of us, "let's go."

* * *

><p>"We walk from here." Eric told us, looking at me. "Sookie, I want you stay by my side, as closely as you can."<p>

I nodded, jogging to catch up to him.

It was odd how calm we all were as we walked toward the gate separating the town from the open landscape and pathway to the castle. Shouldn't we be acting more, I don't know, nervous at least? With all of the dangers approaching it seemed that everyone should be more on edge. So why did it seem as if everyone was relaxed? Perhaps they had reconciled there was nothing to be done?

I wanted them to think that way as cruel as it seemed, it was nothing but the bitter truth. I didn't want anyone suspecting what was going in my head. It was my idea and decision to effectively fulfill my destiny when the time came in approximately twenty-three hours.

I think I was numb at that moment. This was a good explanation; in fact, it was the only way to explain it.

_I can understand why they're all so calm and accepting, but shouldn't I still be freaking?_ These were the thoughts in my head.

Nevertheless, I was relieved when my body finally decided to shut down on some level. It gave me time to sort things out in my head, to make a list of people I needed to see and talk with before the end came. I very quickly realized, in my sudden burst of clarity, that I wanted to write a letter to my brother Jason. His face appeared in my mind often in the last few minutes and I wanted him to know everything; where I'd gone, the people I'd met, what I'd done, and who I'd become. I wanted to ask him to help these people who would be returning to Earth, my closest friends I'd ever had, if it were even possible.

I wasn't sure how any of them were going to return though I was sure portals were involved, just as the one I'd come through. Again, once they got through these portals I wasn't certain where they'd end up on the other side, but I had to try at the very least.

I decided the first candidate of receiving the letter would be Nancy the descendant of a witch. I could trust her more than anyone. I had kept her secret and I knew she would keep mine. She was the only person whom I would speak with and share the full truth of my plans. I prayed that she was one of the ones gathered outside the castle. I prayed she was still alright, above all else.

As we neared the castle, I noticed the great amount of people gathered together there. It was a sea of people, so vast, and so deep that I wasn't able to tell where one person ended and another began. They were huddled so closely, barking and yelling up at the castle. I could hear sobs from some and others singing a broken melody. It hurt my ears and scarred my soul. They were angry, they were scared, and they wanted answers.

I shivered and grabbed Eric's left wrist with both of my hands. He looked down at me once more, his eyes grave.

"Stay close to me." He reminded me in a hushed tone.

We walked slowly, but with purpose. The yelling began to diminish as people turned to look behind one another noticing us. They grabbed the sleeves of others, pulling them around to view us as well. I gulped. Their eyes watched all of ours as we continued on our path forward. The sea of people began to part, and I clung onto Eric tightly.

Silence, we were greeted with dead silence.

Suddenly, one by one, the silence changed into an uproar.

As the great sea of people began to yell at the same, Eric carefully positioned me behind him. I grabbed his arm gently and peeked around to watch the chaos unfold before me. I noticed Pam and Mae, who had been trailing behind us, come to stand flanking Eric and I from the back as the scared crowd began to circle around us.

I couldn't understand all they were saying. Too many of them were yelling at once. As I listened so many of their thoughts became _murder_ to my mind. I closed my eyes while my hands flew up to cover my ears as if that would stop the assault. My teeth ground together as my knees began shaking.

_It's her fault!_

_She's the reason we are going to die!_

_I don't want to die!_

_My children! They will die as well!_

_Why is our King just standing there? _

_Why is He protecting the Fairy?_

_Kill her! Kill her! KILL HER!_

I grunted falling to my knees as my legs finally gave out. It was too much. My head felt like it would explode any second now. Eric moved, covering me fully now from the people surrounding us. They continued inching toward us, small baby steps, but closing in just the same.

I was breathing hard. _I'm going to have a panic attack or perhaps I'll just implode_, I thought gravely.

"Eric," My lips trembled as I whispered, "Please, Eric, make them stop. I can't take it." I hoped he could hear me.

I was not only hearing their thoughts, but hearing them shout from their mouths as well. It was overkill. I was sure my ears were bleeding. I whimpered.

"Enough!" Eric shouted louder than I'd ever heard him. His voice rose higher than nearly any other voice and with it, to my surprise, there was silence once more. The thoughts that were literally killing me a moment ago also grew dim.

It was deathly quiet again. I closed my eyes and began to rebuild the walls to shield me from all the thoughts once more. My breathing steadied and my heartbeat started to return to normal. I was left with a dull ringing in my ears. I would welcome that over the other sounds any day.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see my old bodyguard kneeling next to me. His eyes searched mine, his face forlorn but determined. I smiled, noticing he had healed fully from our attack against the rogue vampires. It was a relief to see he was alright.

"Are you alright, Sookie?" Alcide whispered gently. His eyes held mine but moved to look up when Eric growled deep in his chest. I noticed Eric's back remained in our direction. Alcide quickly removed his hand from where it was perched regardless.

"I'm okay now." I nodded in reply. "I'm glad you are okay too. You healed well."

He nodded, but remained silent. There were more important things happening around us.

I rose to my feet, still trembling, but I held firm. I looked around at the crowd and my eyes caught the only person who in no way looked scared whatsoever.

_Nancy_! I nearly gasped.

My heart swelled with relief. She was safe, she was still alive, and I _had_ to speak with her as soon as possible! Our eyes held and she nodded in my direction. It was as if she knew what I was thinking as well, but that wasn't so. She knew me, knew my destiny, I was sure of it, and because of this she seemed to understand my silent thoughts.

"Please, Your Highness," A smaller, petite woman stepped forward suddenly to the left, and threw herself on the ground. She bowed her head so low, I'm sure her nose was in the dirt. "Please Your Highness, the children…we don't want our children to die. Please, please do something. Please, save us."

Eric stood motionless, and I moved around to stand at his side. What the woman said tore my heart apart. She was terrified for her child who had just moved up to cling to her side. The little girl was no older than five.

The woman looked up again. Her eyes were red, puffy, and filled with unshed tears glistening at the brims. She was trembling as well.

I let my barriers peel away slowly. I just needed to hear her thoughts.

I knew immediately this was something she would never have done in other circumstances. She would have never had the courage to confront a vampire, let alone the King. She had been born and raised on a farm away from civilization only going to town once a week on Saturdays for the farmer's market. She had already lost one child a few years ago, a baby of ten months old. She wasn't a people person and didn't have friends her own age. She had her child, her daughter, and she was her world. She feared this child would die; she wanted to save her daughter. She would do anything to save her.

I gulped, feeling tears brim my eyes once more. I blinked them away the best I could.

A few more people came to kneel on the ground with the woman after she spoke from her heart, two men, an elderly woman, and two other women around the same age as the first. I watched as they all bent down again, bowing and crying.

"Please, please," They chanted.

The one man seemingly courageous enough to look me in the eye as he spoke his words shed tears. They simply fell down his cheeks and he never reached to wipe them away.

"Please, we all know some part of the story. We all know what you planned to do to the fairy and now we ask you to please do it." His eyes were hard, yet soft at the same time. His words were now directed toward me. "I'm sorry, but my family, all of our families, _please_. You cannot do this to us. We've…we've waited for so long. We don't want our families to die this way."

The tears I'd struggled to hold back fell at a downpour then, but I said nothing. They were asking me to die, begging me to die, so their families would live. At that moment, I wished more than anything to reassure them that all would be well; I _was_ going to die for them so they could live, but I couldn't say it, not in front of Eric.

"Enough," Eric said again, but not loudly this time. It was spoken very tenderly. Eric then moved away from me and Alcide stepped closer to my side, taking Eric's place, "Enough," Eric whispered, kneeling beside the woman who had spoken first. He rested his hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly, but then relaxed into his touch. His eyes held her puffy ones, and to my amazement, Eric gently smiled. "It's going to be fine. I have found a way to save us all but you must stay calm." He stood then, looking around the group. His voice grew louder, so everyone could hear him speak. "You must stay with one another, be comfortable, be happy, and tomorrow, everything will be fine."

"It…it will?" The woman sniffed and rubbed the back of her sleeve against her eyes. "Everything will be okay?" She pulled her daughter closer to her chest.

Eric's poker face was amazing.

"It will. I have everything I need to save us. This is something that doesn't have to do with killing the Fae, so please," He smiled, looking back in my direction and holding his hand out for me. I licked my dry lips before I moved to grab his hand. He held mine tightly. "Please, be nice to her. She's the reason we will be going home."

_You are very correct, Eric, _were my guilty thoughts.

"T…Thank you." The woman reached out and grabbed my hand. She smiled up at me brightly with her thin, tear-streaked cheeks glistening in the moonlight. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." I whispered, and plastered a smile on my face I hoped would pass as happy.

I _was_ numb and underneath I knew I was still afraid. Who wouldn't be? I was still afraid especially of what I was omitting from telling Eric. I was afraid of what Eric _thought_ he was lying to everyone else. It was an all around a bad situation.

"Everyone may rest here." Eric spoke again in his booming voice with his hands moving around to the already set up camps around his castle's lawn. "Stay together for now. Tomorrow is a new day, a _better_ day. My people, it's time to celebrate! It's time to enjoy our last full night in this world and start looking forward to going home!" Cheers rang out throughout the crowds.

With a smirk on his face, Eric turned his back, grabbed my hand, and began walking through the crowd to the castle doors. People touched our arms as we walked. I was being thanked by several, now happy, people. We reached the doors and two guards opened them, bowing their heads in Eric's direction. Eric barely acknowledged their presence as we went inside. With a wave of his hand, he sent them away down a side corridor that appeared out of nowhere when the one guard touched the wall. I never knew that existed.

The only people left standing in the foyer of the castle were Eric, me, Pam, Mae, and Alcide, Eric's most trusted guard. Was it odd that I found it funny Eric trusted a Werewolf more than half of his Royal guard in that moment? I may have been having a breakdown. Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time!

I didn't have time to think on it further because Alcide coughed gently. I watched as he turned his head in each direction, as if he was looking for someone.

"We're alone." Pam announced as she glided to lean against the nearest wall. Mae followed. "You can speak freely if that's what you're trying to decide."

"It was a nice gesture," Alcide spoke then completely ignoring Pam's sarcastic words. He gazed at Eric not as his King but as his friend, "but don't you think it's kind of foolish to lie to them?"

My eyebrows knitted together. He knew Eric had been lying. I thought he had been quite convincing, however, Alcide knew Eric quite well from my understanding.

Eric let my hand fall to my side as he walked to the one staircase and sat down somewhat heavily. He shook his head, but I noticed he was smiling as he looked back at Alcide though it was a hollow smile.

"Did you expect me to tell them the truth? Then what," He raised an eyebrow pointing at me, "have them burn her at the stake or something?"

"They would have never gotten close to her." Alcide argued.

I chose to stay quiet, but there was a battle raging inside. To speak of my plans, or to not speak of my plans...?

"As adept as you are, Alcide, even you could not keep so many people at bay before someone killed Sookie. Truly, no one outside this room could have protected her. I don't think I could even take on everyone outside right now, humans and other beings at once. There were more than humans outside." Eric sighed.

"Yeah, I know that, Eric. I'm not stupid. They wanted answers and maybe you are right. Maybe you shouldn't have told them the truth, but it seems like a piss poor way to go out. Lying to them, the people with whom you've always been brutally honest, for one person's benefit." Alcide turned around looking in my direction. "No offense, Sookie. You know I would die for ya. I almost did already." He sighed, murmuring, "It's not as if we're not all gonna die anyway. It's unavoidable." He paused for longer this time. "It's just that they're scared and they have been since they saw the clouds forming in the distance. Hundreds of them just showed up here. We didn't know what to do. We tried to keep them calm the best we could, but there were so many and they all saw that same _fear_ in everyone. I only wish there was some other way to do this without killing you, Sookie."

"There isn't and we're not going to kill her." Eric repeated vehemently.

"They have to go through me, go through you." Alcide breathed a heavy sigh and threw his hands up in the air. "Damn it, sorry, I was just arguing to argue. I don't like this anymore than anyone else. I should just keep my damn trap shut." He brought his hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers.

I felt sorry for him. I felt sorry for everyone even knowing they weren't as doomed as they thought to be.

"I don't think anyone likes this." Eric said then. His hands interlaced in his lap. "I didn't lie for Sookie's benefit, not exactly. I'm not even thinking about the chaos likely to ensue if I'd told the truth either." He looked around at everything else but me. "I lied because I saw the fear just as you had. No one should have to fear their own death. I would rather them be ignorant and enjoy their last moments. They are human, so their vitality is everything. Death is the most frightening thing to them. Instead, I gave them false hope."

Everyone stood stock still looking at Eric, in awe of his words. Alcide seemed like he was about to apologize again for going off for no reason, but Eric held up his hand.

"Don't look at me as though I'm noble." Eric snapped suddenly. I jumped. "It doesn't make me a good King because I don't want them to fear their deaths. I was _never_ fit to rule people. I never _wanted _to. I wasn't designed to be a leader because I am _selfish_. I knew this, my maker knew this. Yet, when my maker died, I still became King to people I never wanted to rule. Then more when we fell through portals to this world because of a promise I made him." I could feel his pain suddenly as he stood. It was crippling. The bond he had kept shut tightly was cracking as his anger and guilt began to leak through. "I've gained enough responsibility over the years, built up enough obligations to acknowledge how my people feel and what I should do to protect them. I've always wanted to appease my dead Maker's wish of preceding him. I'm biased enough to say I ruled fairly well even through harsh circumstances." He wouldn't look at me as he got everything off his chest. "If I could save them, you all know I would. If I could save every person outside, truly preserve their lives, preserve _your_ lives," He gazed at Pam who whimpered, "I wouldn't _have_ to lie to them." He chuckled without humor. "I don't want to save anyone, to do so would mean killing the one thing I won't kill, the one person I would defy even my dead maker's wishes of me for being a great leader."

"Eric..." I whispered.

"So was this the "other way" you spoke of before, Mae? This was what you saw that time when we peered into that basin of yours in this very room?" Eric asked.

"Eric, you know everything changed. The witches had backup plans for their backup plans..." Mae tried to pacify.

I didn't like how Eric was acting, and yet, I didn't know what to do. Should I let him get it out of his system?

"I had thought you were crazy, Mae, but you were right. The witches were right. I fell in love with the fairy and I cannot kill her. I choose death before killing her. The Fae, the witches, they get exactly what they wanted in the end, for us all to die, and _I _am the one handing it to them on a silver platter. So I want none of you to look at me," He growled out, "as though I'm noble."

"Eric..." I repeated, walking swiftly to his side. "Eric, stop. Don't do this to yourself. Don't do this to them."

I reached him, brought my hand up to touch him only to have him shrink away from me at the last moment. I wasn't hurt by his action, not exactly. I just wanted him to stop. It was him losing it and I hadn't liked seeing it.

"Don't, Sookie...," His voice held shame, but he seemed to lose steam almost instantly. He brought his left hand up, rubbed his forehead, and closed his eyes as he did so. "Sorry." He said to no one in particular. It was probably an apology for us all, for several different reasons. He turned and walked up the stairs, leaving us standing there.

I decided to follow.

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><p><span><strong>End of Chapter Question:<strong> I know I am quite late in asking this, but I was wondering what YOU all thought of the last season of True Blood. I was wondering if you still had some lingering anger to vent or pent up happiness to share. What did you like? What did you not like? ;)


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's Notes: **Hello, dear ones! I am back and we are getting so very close to the end of our journey together! This is not the end, I promise! (There is a reason for stating this). We have 2 more chapters to go, and then my small, fine tale will be done!

On another note, I hope you are all doing well!

**Warning: **I believe you might need tissues for the end of this chapter. We shall see.

Thanks to my beta, _**Msbuffi.**_ You know I love you. ;)

Once again, I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Thirty-Four - Make You Feel My Love<strong>

_"To die would be an awfully big adventure."_ - J.M. Barrie, _Peter Pan_

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><p>All that could be heard was the clattering of my own heels on the marble floors while I briskly followed my vampire. The bond had returned to normal. It was sealed as tightly as possible from his side, though I knew his emotions continued to rage within him.<p>

_I_ had no idea what to feel or better yet, which emotions to let slide through my numb mind for it was not even my looming death that frightened me at the moment. It was Eric; all about Eric.

"Let's talk," I said the first chance I could when the door to the elevator opened.

"No," He replied before I could even finish.

We stepped inside and I stared at my feet, put off by his quick dismissal. I bit my lip, took a deep breath through my nose and squared my shoulders. Now was not the time for him to try to push me away!

"I think it would be good for us to talk about this," I argued.

"As I've stated, I don't want to nor do I think I have the energy." I tried to peer into his eyes, bending down to get them to connect, but he turned his head in the opposite direction every time I tried. I reached for him only to see him shrink away from my touch. Yet, I was not saddened, it just pissed me off.

"Eric...!" I nearly screamed.

It got a rise out of him.

"What is there to even be said?" He turned to look at me, his voice demanding and harsh. I shrunk away a step realizing in that instant that perhaps I didn't want to do this after all. He continued vehemently, "That even though I've tried, I was just too late in finding a way to save you? That, no matter what I did, what I try to do, you will still die?"

"Eric, we've tried," I lied through my teeth. I couldn't give away anything though it was difficult to keep the secret, especially when it was right there on the tip of my tongue. "There is nothing we can do, but I don't blame you. You shouldn't blame yourself. None of this is our fault. We are the victims of this horrible curse."

We stepped out of the elevator and into his room where he threw off his jacket and went to stand in his chambers. His back was to me the entire time, rigid and tight, and he was cursing in his native language while he ran his hand through his hair.

I stepped inside the room with my arms crossed tightly over my chest as I felt as if I was being torn apart in every direction.

It was silent then, and the silence was the worst because I knew that the little gears in Eric's head were turning. He was thinking of something, of some way to phrase what he was going to say. I could just tell. When his voice finally floated back to me, it was soft and full of resolution.

"You could still go on, you know. I'm sure if you took a piece of wood and finished me off, you could go home still. You could go back to your brother, Sookie, to your family, to your _home_. You shouldn't have to die with us all."

As quick as a flash, he had broken his lovely desk and grabbed a sharp piece of splintered wood. Then he was next to me forcing my numb arms apart, grabbing my hand none too gently, and placing the stake in it. His other hand came up to cradle my chin, his eyes exploring my own.

"Take this, drive it through my heart," He demanded softly before he leaned down and kissed my forehead. My mouth dropped open and slowly anger began to build in my body while he begged me to end him. "You could go on for _me,_" He whispered against my face.

Before I could stop to think about what I was about to do next I pulled away from him hastily, my right hand twitching. Before I could stop myself, my hand came up and slapped him across the face. The noise was harsh and seemed to echo inside my brain that had suddenly gone blank.

In that small rush of anger at his offer I hit him. I regretted it instantly for so many different reasons. My stinging hand flew up to my face and covered my trembling lips. Tears pricked my eyes when I looked at him and whispered behind my hand, "Don't you ever say something like that again. I don't want to even think about it!" I tried to choose my words carefully without sounding hypocritical, but the words, no matter how they came out were just that. Everything he was saying was exactly what I was going to be asking him in just a few hours. My voice broke and I went silent because if I kept talking, I would hate myself more than I did already.

He simply stared at me, turmoil evident on his features.

I was breathing heavily when my eyes flicked back up to stare into his. I was so angry with him, so angry with myself. I was so scared and so tired. I suddenly understood that I felt as if I had lost, even though I had not yet sacrificed myself for these people, for him. I was a very broken woman, looking at her very broken vampire.

Without much warning, I hadn't even told my body to move, I grabbed him and pulled him down to where I could reach and pushed my lips against his. It was a rough kiss, one of the most frenzied I had ever given him. He was still for just a moment before his lips moved against my own with just as much force. His tongue licked my bottom lip and I opened for him willingly. He swallowed my moan while his hands gripped me around the waist and turned us about. He threw me on the bed before tearing the clothes from my body.

I looked up at him, breathing heavily while I spread my legs for him to come to me. He did looking near animalistic while he pushed them wider apart. My shaky hands flew up to his shirt and I began to undo the buttons, but I couldn't seem to steady myself enough. Instead, Eric paused before ripping off his shirt and pants from his body. His clothes were gone swiftly joining the other tattered material on the floor.

Then he was entering me so suddenly that it astonished me. I gasped, and my hands flew to his back where I definitely caused damage. My nails dug deeply into his skin and I raked them down his back. I could feel new moisture on my fingertips and knew instantly that I had drawn blood. He growled in my ear just before sucking, licking, and biting my neck right over the artery that was pounding so wildly that even I could feel it.

It was very much unlike our first time and I wouldn't be lying if I said that it hadn't hurt when he thrust fiercely within my core, but the pain was delicious. I welcomed it, I welcomed him.

He peppered kisses down my neck, licking my collarbone before reaching my breasts where he latched on while flicking the other harshly. He didn't stay there long, however.

Eric grabbed my hips, pushing them up while he shifted on the bed, driving down into me harder, and picking up his speed as he did so. The new angle let him fill me to the hilt, so much deeper than before. My nails were now imbedded in his shoulder blades while he took me. He leaned down taking my lips in one swift movement. His tongue dominated my own, teeth lingered against lips, pulling and biting. As he began to pull away, I grabbed his bottom lip harder than before, pulling it into my mouth where I nursed his wound I must have caused. I tasted his blood. He growled more deeply than I had ever heard.

This was more than simple wanting; it was instinct to take what we might never have again and neither of us was being gentle. I didn't want to be. I wanted to _feel_ it; every pleasurable _ache_ he gave me might be our last. It was wonderful, wild, and absolutely exactly what we both needed.

We had both been so numb. I never noticed just how much until now as tears leaked from my eyes when I pulled him down to lay on top of me. I didn't want an inch between us while we continued. He was there with me, right here, heavy against my body but was welcome. His hand came down to my hip and grasped it tightly as he went drove deeper, his thumb rubbed small, soothing circles against my skin there, the only gentleness in this wild frenzy. His pace only heightened from then on.

I didn't want to think of the future, I didn't want to think of the past, I just wanted him in this one moment in time, to just feel every possible emotion in this little lovemaking bubble we were creating. How I wished time could be frozen, stuck in this capsule of complete nirvana mixed with sorrow to simply be alive to feel all that I could, but of course, time stands still for no one. I was not an exception; even though I believed whoever runs things _owed_ me for what I was going to do.

Still, I knew the likelihood of that was quite poor and; therefore, I was damn determined to enjoy myself before my doom.

I would feel alive for as long as he continued to take me any way he wanted to have me. I was his; a broken, scared, sacrificial lamb begging for him to make me feel anything but numb and afraid. I wanted to _feel_ his love for me while he drove me to the brink of insanity.

That was the one thing no one would ever take from me, not God, not the Fae, not the damn witches, _no one._ What I had with this man was real.

Time, because it cannot stand still, is quite a precious thing; therefore, I was exultant to be with my vampire in such an intimate way. There was nothing or no place else I would rather be. Yes, perhaps we both had other obligations, but nothing would pull us away from the other at that time. I deserved a bit of selfishness, I thought. I had no regrets on this front, absolutely none at all as time ticked by. Screw everything else for right now!

He flipped me suddenly, his hand coming down on my back to push my chest against the mattress while lifting my bottom in the air. He entered me again and I screamed his name. He filled me in a completely new way. He went deeper than ever before. I grasped the sheets in my hand, fisting the material when I came quite suddenly that it threw me off for a moment. It dazed me and tossed me into a fog of ecstasy.

My breathing came out in jagged, quivering pants while I trembled in aftershocks. Still he never let up. He continued to pound into me even as he bent over and trailed his tongue up my spine. His hands on my hips only tightened, pulling me back against him while he thrust forward. I knew there would be bruises when we finished. Everything was heightened, my senses were on fire, and I felt everything he was doing to me all at once. It was overload, but, oh, so deliciously so! I smiled a trembling smile into the mattress as my eyes rolled into the back of my skull.

Eric wasn't done with me as he turned us again. He kissed me, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth while he burrowed into me once more. As much as I loved him and what he was doing to me, I couldn't stop the soft sob that left my lips as he rotated his hips so very quickly.

My body was trying to tell me that this was all too much, far too much on my already over-sensitive, over-stimulated core that continued to spasm while he plunged mercilessly. He was moving so fast now that he seemed to be vibrating against me, inside me. I cried out, begging for more instead of pleading for him to stop. He _couldn't _stop. I wouldn't let him. _Damn my body for betraying me_, I thought.

However, the madman, the crazed vampire above me seemed to finally realize that he had lost all control and was fucking me to the point that I could possibly break, literally, under him. His widened, frenzied eyes began to soften while he looked over my body coming back to his senses.

_No, no, no,_ I whispered in my mind because I simply could not form words. _No, I want more. Give me more_.

I quite enjoyed him when he lost control.

Eric pulled out completely sitting up to make sure I was fine. I was. I would never tell him otherwise. I lay trembling for his eyes to see while they roamed over my body, stopping at certain points ones which I knew were his favorite.

He didn't seem satisfied, quite appalled, in fact, at the bruises he had caused and his critical eyes lingered on them for far too long, but I wouldn't have that. I forced my deliciously aching body upward, and ran my hands over his chest before hooking them behind his neck. I pulled Eric to me and kissed his lips softly. I began to lie back down dragging him with me to the point where he had to brace his hands on either side of my body so he wouldn't crush me. I smirked into the kiss, licked his lips once before laying my head flat on the bed, and gave him a heated gaze, one that told him to not disappoint me.

Eric chuckled without humor, shaking his head; he might have called me insatiable, though I didn't quite catch it and continued where he left off. It was a much slower pace than before.

He slid into me carefully. It was so slick I hadn't noticed earlier, a steady, slow pushing allowing me to feel every glorious inch of him before pulling out completely once more. He eyed me very carefully watching my lustful gaze when he brought down his thumb to the bundle of nerves at the top of my womanhood that he began to rub slowly. It was a flutter of movement, his touch was barely there and it was very sensitive. He sat on his knees, thrusting in and pulling out while he gazed at me watching the passion flow across my features. All I could do was whimper now. My throat was raw.

My legs, which had still been wrapped loosely around his middle, fell away to lie against the mattress opening completely for him as he continued his slow rhythm. I simply couldn't hold on anymore. He twisted his hips, rocking back and forth. I watched him close his eyes and moan very softly, his fangs clicking into place while he wiggled his hips and pushed deeper. I smiled. Eric, the Vampire King, the Sex God, the being who could move so fast while having sex, seemed to enjoy it more when we were going slowly. I came to realize I liked this way just the same. It didn't matter to me now. Whatever he would give me, I would take without hesitation.

Eric knew all the right spots to hit while he kissed down my nose, across my cheeks, and my jaw line before he settled on my lips. It was such an intense, deeply searing kiss. It held all of his pain, his fears, and all his love for me. It was an assault of emotions and, at first; it scared me at how overwhelming it was. He opened the bond, I knew it then. I felt everything he was feeling. My arms wrapped around him tightly, pulling him down to me as I shifted so his hands could wrap around my back as well and hold me against his chest. I gasped into his shoulder, closing my eyes to feel his love for me. I reciprocated.

To physically feel how much someone loves you is something I could never describe. It was heartbreaking, unfair, but the most beautiful and rewarding thing I could or would ever experience in my lifetime.

I came again and again and again.

This went on for hours, over and over again while he would whisper sweet words in my ear. He would tell me how much he loved me, how much he loved my body, how _worth it _I was. I cried openly in his arms which now cradled me as he pumped in and out, though he was barely moving at this point. He laid his hand over my heart every now and then, simply feeling it beat wildly against his palm. Eric seemed to enjoy that most of all.

"Not enough," Eric whispered in the crook of my neck after some time of silence. His voice broke once. "Not enough time with you."

"I will always find you," I promised, "No matter where we may be. I will always be with you."

I could feel liquid sliding down my shoulder, onto my back, and though I wasn't completely sure what it was, I was almost certain that Eric was silently crying. I didn't look though. I didn't need to see. I could _feel_ it through our bond. He trembled in my arms, not something he would do normally.

This was the most vulnerable I had ever seen him and I relished in it as horrible as that may sound. To know that I had this effect on him made it all worth it somehow. I was going to die, but he was undeniably worth dying for.

"I love you," I reminded him several times.

"As I you," He always replied.

After hours of us joined in the most intimate of ways, he finally joined me in falling over the edge into bliss. His fangs pierced my skin for the first time drinking his fill while he burst within me. It sent me over the edge for the last time and I cried out his name as I did. He didn't pull out at first. I enjoyed that, the two of us connected. When he finally did leave me sliding out so painfully slow, I felt completely lost. A piece of me was missing, Eric had taken it with him when he left my body and I felt bitterly cold. I was more sensitive and sore than I had been after I gave him my virginity, but it was exactly what I needed of him at that moment in time.

Eric pulled me against his chest kissing away my dried tears. In turn, I licked away his crimson ones.

He held me so tightly to him while he began to drift off rubbing up and down my spine with his fingertips. We spoke of nothing, just stared at one another until the pull of the dawn was too great for him to ignore any longer and he drifted off to sleep, his body creating a cocoon to shield me. He had tried to fight it, but I shook my head smiling gently and closed my eyes as I leaned forward and kissed him briefly. Soon after, he was dead to the world.

I was only sorry that we couldn't stay this way forever.

* * *

><p>After being together in such an emotionally raw way, I had no idea that I would have a dull ache in my gut, different than the many aches from our trysts as his eyes slipped closed. I felt as though pieces of me, the relaxed parts of me, were being chipped away while he was lulled to sleep, leaving me ever so awake and alone to contemplate what was coming next.<p>

After a while, though it killed me to do so, I pulled against his strong hold to wiggle my way out. I didn't want to leave, but I had things I had to do and I didn't need him to be asking questions.

I made my way to my chambers after pulling on a robe from Eric's closet. Walking through the room, I grabbed a few pieces of paper; a glass bottle filled with black liquid and a quill, and stuffed the writing paper into my pocket. I then stepped out onto the balcony.

I was met with the last sunrise that Symperia's people would ever see. It just had to be an earth shattering, heartbreaking, mesmerizingly _beautiful _sunrise that was so hurtful and so unfair to those who knew it was the last.

Deep purple of the night fading as pink, red, and light yellow began to paint the world into day. The stars above in the fading darkness twinkled and shined, if possible, even brighter and larger than I'd ever noticed. The close planet that I grew fond of seeing in the sky seemed impossibly colorful and crisp as it too began its morning. Knowing that it would become a lone planet very soon sent a pang of hurt through. Its rocky sister planet, Symperia, was about to die.

Standing on the balcony of my own housing that I barely used, I watched as the magnificent star which kept Symperia warm and bright began its rise, coming up over the horizon in its own blazing glory, so much like the Sun, and I never noticed. After today, there would be no land to stand on to take in this wonder, this magnificent place. After today, there would be nothing.

There are five-hundred, twenty-five-thousand, and six-hundred minutes in a year. Truth be told, I didn't even find it strange when the lyrics to that song popped into my head while I stared out into the morning. I never fully _understood_ that song before, even though it had been one of my favorites once upon a time when I was into Broadway musicals. I never realized how much time there was until I didn't have much of it left. Just like most people, I took for granted what was believed, though idiotically, as forever.

I gripped the stone of the rail tighter in my hands feeling the roughness on my palms. The simplest things such as touch are also taken for granted. The ability to feel, even if what you feel is something you don't like or want, physically and mentally. They are things for which one should always be grateful.

Sight, touch, scent, hearing, taste; a perfectly healthy person such as myself, _physically, _and I never stopped to be thankful for the most common things that make a human being human. They are things that make us, _us_. Even if you don't have all the senses, you are molded by these small, commonly forgotten or not thought of things.

A small ironic smile spread across my face as I thought, _it's funny really. Now or never, right?_

Slowly, I sunk to the ground and pulled the parchment from my pocket and grabbed the quill from where it was balancing on my left ear. I pulled the cork out of the top of the ink bottle and dipped in the quill. I had never used such a thing before, but I couldn't locate any other writing material in my moment of need. I made myself as comfortable as I could, and bent over the pages on the ground of the balcony. I brought the quill to the first page and began writing to the best of my ability.

_Jason,_

_I bet you've been wondering just what exactly happened to me. The last time we talked was at Gran's funeral. It breaks my heart to think that not only did you lose Gran that day, but you lost me as well. I hadn't thought about it much over the time I've been gone, and that I will always regret. _

_As I write you this letter, I can't help but close my eyes and picture, almost crisply, your image in my head. Your carefree attitude and your smile. Your voice saying, 'Love ya, Sook.' It hurts me very greatly to know that I'm probably never going to see you again. I miss you, Jason. I miss my brother and I miss home. I'm never going to see that house again…_

_There really is no other way of telling you this, so I'm just going to come out with it. I've been in a place called Symperia. It's another world in another dimension. How that's possible, I'm still not sure. There is more to this great Universe than ever imagined._

_On the day we buried our Gran, I somehow got pulled into a portal to another place. I remember that I made a wish that I wouldn't have to be _there _anymore. It was stupid to wish such a thing, but I had said it in a moment of weakness and, God, Jason, my wish was granted and the next thing I knew I was lying in a meadow with a dog that turned into a human before my very eyes. I met werewolves, vampires, humans, and witches. It was real, Jason. My stories, the ones I loved with my whole heart, the ones Gran spoke of? It all exists! They all exist! They. Are. Real. Our_ family_ is also linked closer to them than even I would have anticipated as well. It's hard to explain exactly. I'm simply going to include the letter Gran had left me with this one...so you can read over that as well. _

_I know that all of this sounds crazy…maybe I have gone crazy, but it's true. That is why I am writing you this letter, a letter I am never going to be able to hand-deliver to you. _

_Anyway, I need your help and over the years I think I've gained enough I.O.U's with you to get a single wish that you cannot refuse and I'm going to collect on it. It's my last wish. _

_I need you to help my friends. _

_I'm sure when they come, even before you get this letter, they'll make one hell of an entrance. You'll know by then that someone isn't just blowing smoke up your ass with this letter. So, when they do come and after you receive this letter, I need you to help make the transition for them and basically, the whole world, as smooth as you can. I know that not one man can do it all, and I'm not asking for a miracle here, Jason. Just...if anyone, regardless of _what_ they are, comes to your home asking for help, don't automatically turn them away. Help make them feel welcome for me. _

_There is so much I want to tell you about my stay in Symperia too. Of how wonderful it was, how magical it seemed, but if I did that, I'd end up writing a book and I simply don't have enough paper for that...or time. But there is one detail that you need to take away from this letter more than anything else and it's that I met someone very special to me while living in this other world. _

_He is a vampire and you _need_ to know about him. His name is Eric Northman. You need to remember that name. I've told Eric about you and our home. After everything is said and done, I have a feeling he is going to search for you, since you are my only link in that world. And I would like for you to tell him about me, all about me. Show him pictures that Gran had and... treat him like _family, because he would have been._ If I had been given the chance to make this journey with him, I probably would have married him or whatever it is that they do._

_I love him and he loves me. And if he shows up at your door, it's going to be because he is looking for comfort. That is something I can no longer give him. I need you to be there for him. He won't admit it, the reasons why he searched for you, if he does. He tends to hide his emotions quite well, but if he does come to you, please, don't turn him away. I beg you. If nothing else, take care of Eric until he can do it on his own. Remind him that what I gave up was my gift and that I need him to continue on for me. If there are moments of weakness from him...remind him that I loved him...more than my own life. _

_As mushy and_ private_ as I would have liked to keep his and my relationship, you needed to know. I need you to be there for him if he should need it more than anything else, Jason. Maybe, you'll be able to lean on each other. _

_And while you are reading, I know there is going to be dread welling up in your chest because it's doing the same in mine right now. The inevitable happened. I died. I'm gone. You know how strange it is to write that even though I'm still breathing right now? It feels cathartic though. I've struggled with it. It was a battle waging inside of me since I learned of what was to become my life. But, I've fully accepted what my end will be now..._

_And if you received this letter, if it is in your hands, then I don't want you to be sad. I want you to smile because that means I saved all who I needed to save. I gave up my own life to save thousands of people to come home; _our_ home, _their_ home. And Jason, it was worth it. It's going to be worth it. My death will be a gift to the ones that did not deserve to be stranded in another world that was slowly eating itself. _

_I knew what I was doing, Jason. That's an important part I need to stress. There should be no blame for my end. It was my choice. And if this letter is in your hands, then I feel like a part of me is coming home too. And that alone makes me very happy. _

_The woman that gives you this letter will explain it all to you further. That is, as long as you have questions about it. She will tell you what you would like to know. I know this must all be confusing, the parts I'm skipping, and the things I'm leaving out. It's all probably just a jumbled mess, but I just can't stop writing. This is truly all I have left...and though I have been gone for a quite a while, I don't know how to say goodbye to my big brother..._

My chin trembled as I held back a sob, biting the inside of my cheek to keep the sound at bay. My eyes squeezed shut. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes, sliding down my cheeks leaving a chill in their wake. Taking a deep breath, I bent down again.

_I love you so much, Jason. I took for granted the significance of family in those last days before we buried Gran. I made a wish to take me to another world because I felt like there was nothing on Earth for me anymore. I should have been more grateful. I still had you. But at the same time, I don't regret coming to Symperia, because that led me to my destiny. It was unavoidable in the end, how I ended up coming to this place. Fate is fate, it'll happen regardless. I just wish I got to say how lucky I was to have a brother like you, even though I had been worried about your future for quite a while way back when. _

_Also, I would like to make it known that I did not mean what I said my senior year in high school, you did not turn out to be a basket-case, walking dildo with no foreseeable future._

Sniffling and laughing gently, I wiped the wetness on my cheeks with the robe's sleeves.

_That ended up being a bad time, huh? We ended up not talking for four months. It's funny what you remember in the end, I guess…_

_I really don't want to stop writing. I wish I could write forever, but I don't have much time left. _

_I'll always miss you. I'll always love you. Tell Chelsea to take good care of you for me. I'm sorry I couldn't make the wedding, if you've gotten hitched already, that is. Live a long and happy life, with kids that I can look down at from Heaven. No matter where I end up, I'm always going to find a way to watch over you all. I'll say hi to Gran for you too, alright?_

_Give my love to those that seek it for comfort, and relay my words and my feelings to those that need them if they miss me. If you can do that for me, I'll always be thankful. _

_You truly are the best brother I could have ever hoped for. _

_Be happy. That's my last request. _

_All my love, _

_Sookie_

I sat the paper and quill down, my chest heaving as I pushed it all away. I let it go. I let it all go. I yelled at God, I cursed the Witches, and the Fae. I cursed stubbornness, the inequality, and the fear of the unknown.

Instead of trying to hold it in, I just began sobbing in the cold of winter with my cries being carried silently with the light breeze.

* * *

><p>Slipping down the main stairs of the castle, I smoothed down the front of my yellow, white, and black floral blouse with one palm while in the other hand my fist was gripping tightly to the sealed letter for my brother, his name written in my cursive handwriting on the front. I peered around, stopping midway on the stairs.<p>

There were four Were guards here all still doing their duty. I thought it was strange for a moment but then it came to me that none of them knew that this was Doomsday. I bit the inside of my cheek while I continued down the stairs, folding the letter in half and pocketing it. I looked at my white ballet flats the whole while unable to meet the Were's eyes as I mumbled a question.

"Have you seen Alcide by any chance?"

"In the kitchens, miss. He said he was having a late breakfast this morning," The reply was instant.

"Thanks," I said to him, turning on my heel and walking toward the hall that would lead me to the kitchen.

What I found was unexpected, but not shocking in the least. Alcide sat perched on a stool with a bottle of spirits, and a few more empty bottles littered the countertop. I watched from the doorway while he tipped the bottle back and guzzled down a good portion. His strong shoulders were tense while he brought down the bottle and it fell noisily onto the countertop.

"Well, come on in. I'd rather be joined than stared at all day," His unexpected voice made me jump. "Could smell you," He explained without turning, "Not that drunk yet to where the senses begin to die completely."

"I'm s-" I began only to be interrupted.

"Don't. _Don't_. There is no reason to say it. I honestly don't even want to hear it, Sookie," He finally turned around, his fist coming up to cradle his jaw as he leaned heavily on it. He smiled though, looking over me with a somewhat critical eye. "Nice outfit," He gestured, "Like mine?"

I looked him over the same way he did me. He had worn a nice, black buttoned-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. He also wore black slacks. I felt a pang in my heart, but I put on the best smile I could muster. My eyes began suddenly burning.

"Going to a funeral?" I asked sarcastically.

Alcide's grin stretched even more as he lifted up the bottle and motioned for me to join him. He grabbed a glass and poured me a good amount. I sat down on the other stool as he barked out a laugh.

"Yeah," He replied almost sarcastically, "My own. Cheers!"

I sighed, shaking my head while I brought the glass up to my lips and tipped it back. It burned on the way down, but it was nice and soothing in a way. I even let him offer me another one which I drank just as quickly. When Alcide tipped the bottle for a third time though, I put my hand over the top of the glass and with my other hand I grabbed his that was on his right knee. He jerked at the sudden contact at first, but settled instantly afterward. I brought it up to the countertop and held it lightly in my own.

"I'm really, _really_ sorry," I told him, even though he didn't want to hear it. I had to say it.

For a moment he said nothing, but I noticed that he had swallowed quite hard. "It's not your fault, Sookie."

"You and I both know that my being here definitely sped up the process. If I can't apologize to everyone out there, I at least wanted to say to you I was sorry. We've gone through some memorable things in my short stay here; some good, some really bad, but I feel as if I've known you forever, Alcide; you are one of the greatest friends I have ever had. I'm so sorry that I..."

My voice died away as a single tear slid gently down my left cheek. I let go of his hand to wipe it away. I was apologizing for it all, everything and nothing at the same time. He was not going to die, but he didn't need to know that. He would see it shortly. He and everyone else I held dear would be alive and breathing on the planet from where we all originated.

"S-So, I need your help, Bodyguard," I changed the subject with a shaky laugh. "Since it's my last ever request, I would love for you to oblige willingly. If not, I'm still going to do it."

"What do you have in mind?"

As Alcide put the cork back into the bottle of spirits and twisted in his chair to look at me fully, I explained what I needed him to do.

"I need to go out there...where everyone is still staying."

"Sookie..." Alcide began with a start, but I held up my hand.

"As I said, if you aren't going to go with me, I still have to go. I have to see some more people before… before…" I gulped, pausing for a moment to regain my strength, "Well anyway, I need to. Even though the people outside think everything is okay, it's still not a good idea for me to go alone. I know that much at least."

"It's not good for you to go out at all," He told me with a somewhat angered tone. "The storm is still coming and people are still on edge. It's like thin ice out there, Sookie. They have Eric's word that 'everything would be alright by tomorrow evening,' but they still see the sky darkening. It looks even more frightening during the daytime. No light can even penetrate the clouds. Black as black can be. It's daunting and they fear it. We really shouldn't just go walking out into that…"

"So, is that a no then?" I began to stand.

He grabbed my wrist, growling out my name. "Wouldn't it be more pleasing to just drink till our hearts are content and we welcome the end, laughing while it comes?"

I openly laughed at that, bringing forth my other hand to pat the one that was gripping my wrist. "It is a tempting idea. I would be less afraid that way… but I have things I have to do. Since you are my guard, I would feel much better if you were with me while Eric is asleep."

"Speaking of Eric, does he know you are down here trying to persuade me into taking you out there?"

"What he doesn't know won't kill him," I mumbled out.

"That's the thing with Eric, Sookie, he'll know. He always does. Just because he can't run after you during the daytime doesn't mean you are free from his eyes. He probably already knows you are not with him."

"Then we should hurry, huh?" Was my only intelligent reply, because I knew that Alcide was probably right.

"You are the death of me," He told me solemnly, but he didn't speak in anger. I could almost cry at the irony of his words. He grinned boyishly then. "Literally the death of me. Ah, well, let's go get into some trouble, eh?"

"You won't regret it. I'll be on my best behavior," I promised while we moved through the castle.

"I don't have enough time left to regret it anyway," He barked a laugh.

Coming behind me, he grabbed my wrist once more when we reached the front doors. My eyebrows furrowed for just a moment in confusion when I saw him produce a cloak out of thin air.

"Pulling things out of your bum now?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Ha-ha, funny, Sookie. I grabbed it from the hall. Put it on, we might want to hide you as best as we can and it's fuckin' chilly out there," He rolled his eyes at me.

Nodding in agreement, I pulled the cloak over my body. Grabbing the hairband off my wrist, I pulled my curls into a loose ponytail, and then lifted the hood over my head. The front came down to almost cover my eyes completely and, with a lift of my fingers, I held it up to look at Alcide.

"You ready?" He asked and I nodded. "Well, here goes nothing. Stay out of trouble. See the people you need to see and no more. Okay?"

"Of course. I'll listen to you, promise."

And I did just that, moving behind Alcide while we walked outside. I stayed right behind him, not even an inch was between us. I was sure of that. I could literally feel his body heat radiating off of him. It was nice in a way because it _was_ very chilly out.

We scuttled off the stairs as quickly as we could. With my eyes almost completely covered, I couldn't see much, but it looked as if even more people had come in the night. Rows and rows of tents lined the whole castle and some were even overflowing into the forest surrounding us. My heart leapt in my chest fluttering enough to make Alcide turn around and see if I was okay.

"Let's find Sam and Tara," I told him.

"The bar owner?" Alcide asked in a gruff whisper.

"Yeah."

"I saw them last night. This way."

I met with Tara and Sam who both gave me tight smiles and warm hugs. They were still very much worried, just like the rest of them. Sam had asked if it was true that King Eric did have a way to go home. With Alcide's hand on my shoulder and tight lips, I forced out a simple 'yes'.

I remembered their faces, burned them into my memory. Sam, the one who found me when I first came to this world, and Tara the first person other than Sam to befriend me. I realized that I never got enough time with them and yet, they were as much a part of me as if they were my family.

It was hard to say goodbye, really hard. They believed I had spoken the words as if to say 'see you later' when, in fact, I probably would never see them again. I told them they would love Earth, I told them about Bon Temps, my home. Sam said he could even open up another bar if he could afford it. I wished him well.

They were closer now more than ever. I saw them grab each other's hands when I began to walk away. I wondered vaguely if they were a couple now. Stranger things have happened. If they were I could see it. All the teasing, the signs were there; they could make it and have a life together. I pictured it.

I came to Nancy's next and I stopped Alcide when the old woman came out of her tent. Her eyes met mine and she nodded. She could understand exactly why I was here.

I turned to Alcide, hand on his chest as I said, "This is one visit I want to do alone."

"Sookie," He began to shake his head. "You know I shouldn't leave you alone at all."

"I know it makes you uncomfortable," I replied gently, "But this is something I'm dead set on. She's not going to hurt me. Just stay right here. If I'm not out in fifteen minutes, come get me."

This was a difficult thing for him. You could tell by the way he tensed up, but after a few minutes and puppy-dog eyes from me, he surrendered with a heavy sigh and took two steps backward.

"Right here," He reminded. "Call if you need me. Fifteen minutes."

I nodded and walked to Nancy. Placing my hand on the old woman's shoulder, I watched her smile gently and reached up to grab my hand in her own. She pulled me inside the tent.

I was surprised at what I saw. It was bigger on the inside than on the outside. There was a table and two chairs, with two mugs placed on both sides. She had known I was coming.

In the middle there was a cauldron boiling away and a strange scent was in the air, but I didn't say anything. To the far right there was a small cot with a handmade brown and yellow quilt.

"You used magic," I started and she waved away my fears.

"No one has come in here," She promised. "Besides, I'll take my chances since we are so close to the end."

"You know?"

"Of course, Dear. There isn't much that gets by me any longer. Don't worry. Your secret has always been safe with me," She winked before waving toward the chair. "Take a seat."

I did.

"You knew before I did. Why didn't you tell me?" I questioned after a moment of silence.

"We weren't alone, and besides when you came into my shop, though the signs were there, I didn't put it all together until after you had left. You have indeed had a long, hard journey though, and it is just beginning."

She walked slowly to the cauldron grabbing my cup on the way. She ladled the liquid into the cup.

I swallowed heavily. "I'm going to die, Nancy."

She stopped what she was doing and her eyes met mine. She held my gaze steadily before she nodded slowly. A small, sad smile lifted her features.

"You are so very kind, Sookie, so very brave. What you are going to do, I thank you for all the people of Symperia. But let me tell you something, honey," She sat the cup in front of me. "I don't think you have to worry too much about in the end. You don't have to be terrified. If you have made the decision to help everyone, in my mind, that is the most scary thing. The actual act of dying is so very easy."

I couldn't help what I did next. I cried, but at the same time, I laughed. Covering my mouth with my hand as if to hide the fact that I'd broken down in such a weird way in front of this old woman who reminded me so much of Gran that it was unbelievable. She pulled me into her warm embrace and rubbed soothing circles up and down my back.

"Don't worry, no one can hear you. Magic is a wonderful thing if used correctly."

"I don't even know what I am doing," I told her honestly, grasping around her more tightly.

"Let me ask you something, Sookie, did you happen to talk to Rachel? My ancestor?"

"How did you know...?"

"Where do you think Mae got the ingredients for that little spell?" She smirked. This witch had many, many secrets. "Listen, honey, what did Rachel tell you?"

"She told me that I would know what I had to do when the time was right, that I would know the answers," I tried to remember. "She also said… She would be waiting for me."

Nancy began to smile widely, moving to sit down at the other end of the table with ease. She grabbed my hands. She was always giving me some form of physical contact.

"You have nothing to fear," Nancy said, making sure she held my eyes while she did. It was as if she was commanding me to not be afraid. "If Rachel said that, then she will take care of you. I don't know all the answers about death, but there is some lore that I have heard in passing over the years."

"What is it?" I sat straighter in my seat.

She silenced me. "I cannot tell you. It's not my place. I'm not going to give you false hope either. I'm not sure if it was true or folklore. I'm simply saying that I believe Rachel will take care of you in the end."

I thought about her words and played them back in my head. It didn't stop the nagging fear, but it did, however, let me feel just a bit more at ease. At least I knew that in my death I was not going to be alone.

"Take care of yourself," I whispered when my fifteen minutes were almost over. I pulled the letter for Jason out of my pocket and slid it across the table. "I have a request for you. My last one. Could you deliver this to my brother, Jason Stackhouse, in Bon Temps, Louisiana? And explain to him, if he asks what exactly I did?"

Nancy smiled, grabbed the letter, and put it into her pocket. "I would be honored. Good luck, sweet girl," Then she stood to hug me tightly.

I left the tent just as Alcide was about to open it and he stumbled backward. I smiled and patted his arm. "Told you I would be fine, worrywart."

"Are you sure? Your eyes are puffy," He commented, lifting his hand as if to touch my cheek, but stopped before he made contact while we walked back to the castle.

"Yeah, I was just saying my goodbyes," I told him. "Thank you for taking me."

"Not a problem," He said when we reached the doors and he opened one.

Before I could process what was happening, Alcide went flying across the floor hitting the staircase on the right. It cracked by the force of the impact. I gasped loudly, turning to see Eric shutting the door his arm slightly pink from where the sun had just touched.

"Eric! Stop!" I hollered.

"You think you can defy me on our last day, Alcide? I told you to make sure she did not leave the confines of the castle!" Eric roared getting ready to pick Alcide up again, but I grabbed his arm.

He turned to me pinning me with an angry glare.

"I said stop! I made him do it!" I grasped him around the waist, stunning him. He looked scary when he was that angry, but I was not, nor would I ever be, afraid of Eric Northman. "Please, just let it go. I'm fine, I'm here."

Slowly, his arms came around my back and his head lowered to lie on top of my own. His voice was kinder, but there was still an edge to it. "You shouldn't have gone."

"You knew I was going to," I shrugged as best I could. "I had a few things I had to do."

"I almost came out," He told me and my eyes widened.

"Don't think like that. I was okay. I promise!" My eyes fell to the Werewolf who was slowly getting up from his pitiful place on the ground. I sent him an apologetic look and he smirked in my direction, wiping the back of his hand across his busted lip. "Say sorry!"

Eric rolled his eyes, looked at Alcide, and nodded. The Were started to head back to the kitchen.

"Not nice," I whispered while I brought his face down to mine and kissed his lips gently.

When Eric pulled away, I noticed he had the audacity to smirk while I tried to be stern. I shook my head, rolled my eyes, but kissed him once more.

* * *

><p>We spent the remainder of our allotted time together roaming the castle, though I did get a few moments alone when Eric stopped to talk with Mae. Mae had given me a strange look, and I knew unquestionably that she knew what I was going to do. It was written in the way she stared at me. She never said anything to Eric though.<p>

While Eric was talking to Mae, I turned to Pam and grabbed her wrist. She tensed instantly, but I gave her a 'not now' look and jerked my head to the hall. She nodded and began following me. When I was sure we were out of hearing range, I turned to her.

"You and I have a weird relationship, and I know you are still not over what happened in that motel room. I completely understand," I held up my hand when she was about to say something, probably sarcastic. "I need you to do something for me and you cannot say anything to anyone. Promise me."

She raised a delicate eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't promise things without knowing what they are first, but I will at least hear you out since today is the last day of my long, _long_ existence."

"It's not going to be," I mumbled.

It had been a jumbled murmur, so low that even Pam had to say, "Come again?"

"It's not going to be…" I repeated, looking up to her.

Slowly, her eyes grew wider and wider, and then it dawned on her what I had just said.

"You aren't thinking of…?"

"Yes, and the only reason I am telling you is that you need to be ready."

"Ready for what, exactly?" She stepped closer to me.

"If Eric doesn't want to leave, you have to make him leave. When the time is right, Pam, you have to promise me that you will help him."

"I've never _not_ helped Eric in all my existence. Our relationship has been…strained since you have arrived, but I will always be there for him, regardless of anything. So you don't have to hear me promise you that, I will do it not because of you, not because of anyone. Although if it makes you feel better, I promise I will take care of him." There was silence between us then, somewhat uncomfortable. Pam shifted her weight from one foot to the other multiple times before she said in an annoyed tone, "I'm no good with these kinds of things, but…thank you. You have changed my opinion of you."

I smirked at the barely there compliment. I was still grateful for it.

"Thank you," I said in return.

* * *

><p>Eric and I spent the last few minutes together alone. I kissed him multiple times. Some were deep kisses that took my breath away and others were light pecks placed in several different places along his jaw line. I remembered the way he looked too, burning it into my memory to always keep with me for wherever I might end up. I hugged him tightly and his hands were always on me. He always had to have contact in those moments.<p>

He leaned down and breathed in my scent and ran his fingers through my hair. It felt nice, soothing.

"I love you," I told him, reminding him. He spoke the words back to me with longing.

"It's starting, my King," A guard said, his eyes wide with terror.

Eric simply nodded and the guard gazed, confused. He looked at me, and then back to Eric before he slowly backed away.

Eric's hands came to grasp my face suddenly, rubbing my cheekbones with his thumbs while he stared at me, probably to remember how I looked as well. Our last moment of peace.

He wasn't afraid to die. I knew it instinctively. The only thing that was bothering Eric was the fact that he lied to everyone in the end, not the end itself.

He was calm and collected speaking in a slow, relaxed pace while people began asking him questions. He told them to wait or did not even speak at all. The guards began realizing what was happening, or at least they thought.

There was no escape.

Most of the guards left the castle first, running to find their loved ones in the massive crowd. There were only some who stayed. If I had to guess, they were the ones who had nobody. The thought made me quite sad.

I looked around at everyone remaining in the castle, our small group who was in-the-know since last evening.

Mae, Pam, Alcide, Eric, and me all stood in a line in dead silence staring at the doors. With trembling legs, I was the one to move first. Someone had to do it.

Eric followed still holding my hand. I reached for the door and opened it. Alcide grabbed the other. He nodded in my direction, giving me a very tight smile. It was one smile I was sorry to admit that I just couldn't return.

We walked out onto the steps and all looked up at the dark skies together while the world began to fall apart.

My eyes gazed at the people of this world. Their faces matched each other in the same stunned silence while we all watched the black clouds moving toward the castle. One by one, tunnels began to form in the sky. It was happening so slowly, which only made it worse in my opinion. As the Black Holes began to descend to the ground, there were no sounds other than the wind blowing chilly air that I'm sure none of them could feel any longer. I was numb, so I'm sure they were too.

I watched while an elderly couple turned their heads from the sky to Eric who stood there passively watching the sky. He didn't dare look at the couple while they gazed at him in pleading. Their eyes then fell to mine, and I held them. I tried to convey that all it was going to take was a few more minutes, but I guess I didn't do it well.

The elderly man reached up to take off his hat, and then he used it to wipe his nose before dropping it to the ground. The woman with short white hair opened her mouth and a silent sob emanated. The man grabbed his wife, pulled her to him, and began whispering into her ear, his right hand coming up to smooth her hair back in a soothing manner. Her hands gripped his jacket so tightly. My heart lurched in my chest.

That right there was one reason I would_ not_ have second thoughts on what I was about to do.

My hand snaked around Eric's balled up fist and he did not hesitate to loosen his grip on himself to grasp my hand in his own. He held it tightly.

Around us, everyone knew what was happening now, but they did not accept it like the elderly couple had. Angry shouts came in our direction, growing above the ever-rising pitch of the wind. Eric closed his eyes and maneuvered in front of me when the people began to try to come toward the castle.

Eric's guards looked back at Alcide who stood to my left. I turned in time to see that he nodded his head. Some of the guard hesitated only for a moment while they turned back around and held off the mass of people who were rightfully angry and trying to get at us to more than likely kill us before the Black Holes could. Eric had lied, or so he thought.

My heart hammered in my chest when the cries and shouts reached us once more. I held up my mental barriers, feeling the strain it was putting on me now to do so.

They didn't say much, just that we were a bunch of liars. Yeah, we really were. Eric, I knew, was taking it hard though there was no emotion on his face. His hand had tightened around my own.

Just as Mae had predicted almost down to the second of the twenty-fourth hour, the Black Holes finally touched the ground one after another, and they began tearing up everything in their wake; the trees, the escaped animals, the grass, and the sky were all sucked up into the voids. Lighting crashed to the ground scorching the land where it caught on fire, but none of that mattered because almost as instantly as the pyres began, the Black Holes would feast on them as well. The fires twirled around the Black Holes until they too disappeared.

Then there were terrible sounds. Sounds very close to what billions of atomic bombs being dropped must sound like. Then as if it couldn't get worse, the sounds changed. It was as if the ground we stood on, the planet itself, was groaning in unimaginable pain. The only way to describe it was as the sound of giant pieces of metal scraping together in a never-ending moan. For a moment, though I had no idea why, it made me think of the Seven Trumpets of Revelation and an icy chill ran up and down my spine. This was the end for Symperia. The end of this world, an Apocalypse. Same idea, different planet.

Then the sky above began to crack, _literally_ crack apart, because fuck you, Physics!

The atmosphere above began to shimmer before it popped like a bubble. I fell to the ground along with countless others while the oxygen we needed to breathe began to slip away into the Black Holes, into the void of space just like everything else. The difference was noticeable almost immediately. There were no more screams, only gasps.

Eric knelt next to me almost unfazed by this. His eyes darted to everyone before landing on me and his hands came up to cradle my face. My fear was undoubtedly mirrored in his features. He was scared as he shook my shoulders unable to figure out what to do. I knew what I had to do. Now was my moment. If I didn't act now, I'd suffocate to death. The air was rapidly becoming too thin.

My hands came up to grasp his wrists and, very carefully, I pushed myself up enough to kiss his lips once. He allowed me, kissing me back, thinking this would be the last moment. It was for me.

With his eyes closed, I very carefully slipped from his grip and began running away from him. It took great effort, my lungs burned as if they were an open flame with less oxygen than I was used to taking in to fill them while I tried to get down to the ground and off the castle steps. I didn't make it far. Eric grabbed me by the hair of all things, and yanked me back. I gasped like a fish out of water when he pulled me against him, his voice roaring over the wind.

"What the hell are you doing!?" He screamed.

The people around us grabbed my legs pulling Eric and I apart. I don't know if they were doing it intentionally or not, but it happened. His hand slipped from mine, but only for a moment. I cried out his name. I watched three people being thrown toward the castle by Eric before he grabbed me again.

"I have to!" I screamed back the best I could, gasping all the while. "This is what I was meant to do!"

"Are you fucking insane? No, no! Sookie, _no_!" He grabbed my shoulders and began to move us, but I fell to my knees.

I began coughing, but it did not stop me. The burning in my lungs, the fear in my heart, nothing would not stop me from doing it, even Eric who looked so angry, and yet so frightened couldn't stop me.

"I love you," I screamed. "You know I do. I will not let you die."

"NO!" Eric fell to his knees too. "I will not. I _cannot_."

But it was too late; I closed my eyes and began thinking of what I wanted to do. I wanted to save everyone. The Black Holes were upon us and there was no stopping them. I could save everyone. I will die, but I will save these people… my people… my Eric, my family, and my friends. I thought of all the faces I had ever encountered here, every single one, while Eric shook my shoulders.

Then my skin began to glow. I knew it before I saw it happening. I became fully warm, so warm, in fact, I felt as if I was on fire. What caused me to open my eyes was Eric's hiss as his hands flew from my body. My gaze fell to his palms that were slightly smoking and raw.

"Sookie," His voice held so much anguish. "Please, don't do this. We can go together. I'm ready to die with you."

"I'm not," I told him honestly. "I cannot die knowing that I could have saved you and these people. You are more important than I am. I feel it, Eric. It's not because I love you, not really." My words tumbled out of my mouth in a rush. I didn't have enough time, yet, I was going to make time. "This feeling," I looked down at my glowing skin, "I've never felt anything like this. The power, the warmth, I've never felt _more_ confident in my own body. I was meant to do this, right here, right now. You must be saved!" The wind and the suction from the Black Holes picked up even more and my clothes and hair began to whip behind me. There were only several hundred feet between us and the first Black Hole. I gazed at my hands. "Look at me, Eric! Look at what my body is capable of. I'm supposed to do this! I _need_ to do this! This was always my destiny."

"Sookie!" He cried out in anguish. When I looked up at him from gazing at my glowing skin there were bloody tears slowly sliding down his cheeks. Eric was crying for me, crying because of me. He shook his head. "I can't."

"You must. Just do it quickly!" I told him. "It's...it's going to be alright."

"How could you ask this of me? No! It is not going to be alright! How could it?" He growled, grabbing my shoulders. I could hear the sizzling of his skin from touching the light, but he did not let me go.

_Tell him it's going to be okay. _A voice invaded my mind. I blinked. My fears slowly evaporated. My heart rate even slowed to a peaceful beating. _You will find him again. It's not the end of you._

My gaze turned to the right and there was a being standing there. Rachel. She smiled at me, nodding her head. She was here.

"I will find you..." I whispered in complete shock. I reached forward and grabbed his shoulders. He hissed from the contact of the light coming from my body, but he didn't push me away. Instead, he actually drew nearer as I said, "Eric, I _will_ find you!"

_Sookie, behind you..._The voice of Rachel said within my head.

I shot to my feet suddenly, almost without even thinking about it. I turned on my heels. The Black Holes had gotten too close. My hands rose upward, and, if I had to be honest, I wasn't quite sure _I _was the one actually in control of my body at that moment. The glowing from my entire body began to leak upward, into my shoulders, and then it drained down out of the palms of my hands. The stream of pure light hit the first Black Hole and began to _penetrate_ it. It slowly began to dissolve before my very eyes. It was a miracle, but I knew that I would not have the power to do this to every one of them. This momentary break was just that, a break. I had to get Eric to do what he needed to do, which was to tear out my heart. Literally.

"Eric!" I hollered as blood began to seep down my arms when my palms burst open from the raw power. I couldn't even feel the pain, just the warm liquid sliding down my forearms. "Please, I promise, this is not the end!"

"How could you possibly know that?" He was behind me, grasping me from behind, steadying me.

"I just do! I feel it." I hissed, planting my legs firmly to the ground while I turned slightly to the right, taking on the next one. "If you love me, Eric, then you need to trust me! Heaven, Hell, Witches, Faeries," I turned my head and pierced him with a strong gaze. "_Nothing _will ever, _ever_ keep me from you! I will find my way back to you! This. Is. Not. The. End!"

He was silent. The only sound was the wind still whistling violently. I found enough strength to turn around finding a bigger break in the Black Holes, just enough to not be in an immediate threat zone. I reached up to wipe a bit of his blood from his face. It smeared. I sadly smiled.

"What happens if you are wrong?" He asked his voice barely a whisper, but I somehow heard it.

"I'm not," I vowed with so much conviction. "Nothing will keep me from you. I'm going to," I tried to word what I was about to say as clearly as I could. "die here, but," He began to pull away, I grabbed him tighter. "But I'll come back. There's someone..." I paused, unable to say her name, though I knew it was her voice in my mind, "someone looking out for me over there. Trust in me. Look through our bond; you will know that I believe in this fully. I'm not afraid anymore. I _will_ come back to you. I know it. There's a way."

He looked utterly horrified, but he closed his eyes and leaned toward me. I grabbed his hand and placed it over my still beating heart. As soon as he touched it I felt _it,_ the thing that had been locked away inside my heart for almost as long as I have lived. I felt it shift and tremble within me. I closed my eyes and smiled. It was not an uncomfortable feeling, this Cluviel Dor within my heart. The special object beat with it, warmed it, but then I thought again.

The Cluviel Dor was simply an object. What made it special was the love I was able to find with Eric. My love for him, his love for me, is what gave it magic. It's what made it special.

"I wish for you and our people to go home," I whispered, and Eric let out a quiet sob. I touched my forehead to his and finished, "because that is where you _belong_. Do it now."

"I love you," His tortured voice was the only thing that hurt me now.

I opened my eyes and smiled as a single tear slipped from the corner of my eye, "I love you more than my own life."

The anguish in his gaze was ripping me apart, but there was something else lingering in his eyes. Anger, outright anger, for what I was asking him to do, but I knew that because he could be angry with me that it was still worth it.

Then, quicker than anything my human mind could register, his hand ripped through my chest with a terrible scream bubbling out of his mouth. The impact broke my bones in one swift moment. I barely even felt it. Eric's hand gripped my heart within my chest. I could feel his fingers wrap around it. He held it as it beat. I gasped in shock, bowing forward. His left arm found my waist and held me upright.

"I wish for you and our people to go home," I repeated in a broken whisper. "This is my sacrifice. This is my wish."

All around us portals began opening just as it had done when I came here, ripping a hole in thin air. I heard people who probably could not breathe force cheers of excitement and gratitude.

My eyes jerked to the side and I noticed Pam for only a moment gazing at me, and, if I wasn't mistaken, there were crimson tears caked to her face as well. She began guiding people to the portals yelling at them to hurry.

I began to cry softly, but I smiled through it, I laughed through it. My legs began to tremble under me. I knew I was slipping away. Eric seemed to notice this as well and carefully we fell to our knees once more.

"I did it," I whispered, my hand gripping Eric's wrist tighter, but shakily. He was openly crying. His head was in the crook of my neck.

"You did," He promised. "You really did it. You saved us."

His hand was still within my chest, feeling my heart beating almost normally. Ironic, I thought. He _really_ owns my heart. He didn't want to let go, didn't want to pull it from me, but he needed to. It was the only way to complete it.

"It's time to let go," I mumbled through numb lips feeling blood dribbling down my chin. "It's okay, Eric… I'll be okay."

"I don't…" He started to shake his head before kissing my forehead.

I cut him off. "I love you. I love you. I love you." I repeated several times. I could barely see any longer. Could no longer make out his beautiful face I loved so dearly. "I need… you to let go. So I can," I breathed deeply, it was painful now to do so. There was a terrible crackling when I did. I swallowed a mouthful of blood. "So I can…come back to you…as quickly…as I can."

Eric's hand trembled within me. He seemed to struggle with himself. He didn't want to let go, I knew it. It was so difficult for him, but in the end with a loud, anguished, violent scream, he yanked his hand free taking my heart along with it.

My eyes grew wide, but after a moment I smiled. I'm sure I did. I was vaguely aware, somehow while I slipped backward and fell limply to the only patch of soil that was left on the whole planet. The Black Holes did not even reach the castle before I made my wish. _Take that witches_, I thought triumphantly.

I only had a few moments before my brain finally shut down, but I was sure I felt lips against my forehead, against my cheek, on the bridge of my nose, and then my own lips. And then, through a blurry veil as the outer edges of my vision began to fade into black, I saw Pam pull Eric away from me and practically drag him to the portal. Pam had promised to take care of him, she had indeed held up on her bargain so far making him go through the portal.

It was time. I felt absolute serenity when the blackness engulfed my entire vision. Everything I was, everything I am, slipped away peacefully until there was nothing but an empty shell that was once my body. It was left behind for the remaining Black Holes to take with them, I presumed, as a parting gift, but I was okay with this because…my soul was free.

* * *

><p><strong>End Chapter Notes: <strong>*Peeks out from behind keyboard* Are we still okay? Is everyone still with me? Do you need a hug? I am fully ready to give hugs if needed! :P

Okay, so I was wondering if you ever listened to any music while reading books/Fanfiction, or while you write it yourself! I do, I've been known to be sitting behind my computer with random songs blaring while I write, and my husband has to literally rip them off my head to get me to listen to what he has to say. Ha-ha!

There is a reason I ask. I came across a beautiful song that reminded me a lot about Folklore. It's called 'Earth Scale' by Tsunenori. It's beautiful, you should take a listen! But, it got me thinking and I was wondering….

**End of Chapter Question: **Is there a song that just reminds you of Folklore when you listen to it? I want to pick your brain and see how YOU interpret it with a little help from music – of _any_ kind. I would love to take a listen, if you do have any suggestions! Of course, this is not a must, I am simply curious! :)

Until next time, my lovelies!

*Tips imaginary hat*


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's Notes:** Hello, readers! Back again and much quicker too! See? I told you I would not end it with that last chapter. :P We have one more to go, and we are SO close to 1k reviews. :o Wow! You gals are simply amazing! I love each and every one of you beautiful faces that I cannot see! *Smiles sheepishly*

**WARNING:** Several forms of torture and taunting in this chapter, throughout the chapter really, so please be cautious as you read, if that is something you cannot stomach. It's mostly toward the middle-ish to the end of the chapter. And it builds up as the chapter goes on. Yep, I'm going there….

Thanks again to my beta, _**Msbuffi. **_She's absolutely wonderful. :)

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch! Not the characters and not the songs I have listed at the end of this chapter. However, if I did, I would be one content and happy person. Yep. :D

XOXO – SharaMoon

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Five – The Trials<strong>

"_The torture of a bad conscious is the hell of a living soul."_ – John Calvin

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><p>I found myself lying upon something I couldn't really describe in any words I knew. It was soft and wispy. It swayed like liquid underneath me and yet, was very much solid. I could see a golden, hazy light penetrating my closed eye lids and, for a moment, I wondered what I would see if I opened them, but my eyes didn't even twitch. Half of me was curious and the other half was content to just…<em>be<em>. To just exist on this plane of something soft yet hard, this liquid-like surface and simply drift. That's what it felt like I was doing. I felt as if I was drifting.

I was suddenly reminded of the times when Jason and I would sneak out in the early mornings, hop in his truck, and drive to the Ouachita River. We'd get out our blow up rafts and drift down in the early morning breeze. I skipped school a few times to do that.

I smirked, my eyes fluttering only slightly, but I still stayed in my position absolutely content. I was very, very relaxed and quite happy. I was warm and cool all at the same time. It was…_perfect_. Could there really be such a thing as perfect? I never thought so until now.

There was a scent lingering in the air, but it was something I couldn't exactly explain other than that it was every scent that I had ever smelled and liked. There was the scent of tea, strawberries, sap, pine needles, that new car smell, a new book, cookies baking, a Thanksgiving feast, and so much more. All of it was rolled up into one smell and it wasn't a horrible thing, surprisingly it was very pleasant. It was comforting.

I have never felt like this. What I believed to be a content feeling was nothing compared to this. Nothing could compare to the eternal sleep. I had no worries laying on this surface with a golden light shining down upon me and wonderful smells surrounding my body in the most perfectly _perfect_ temperature. It was made for me.

This must be…._Heaven_.

"No, not Heaven. Close, but still far off."

A voice had suddenly come into my hearing range, but it was not my own. I must have spoken first to get such a reply; it was the only thing I could think of. I hadn't heard myself speak. As soon as I heard the tone of another person and felt their presence, I was jolted from being content to wary in an instant. The pit of my stomach seemed to drop into an abyss, and the warm, golden, hazy perfectness began to seep away while a darkness began to blind me and a chill swept over my exterior.

Very slowly, I opened my eyes to take in the once light room I knew it had been to see a dreary grey, smoky room in its place. There was fog lazily drifting a few feet off the floor above my head. As I turned my head to the left, I noted that the space seemed to be infinite, though I did not know if it had any boundaries. I couldn't see any walls, but I was _sure_ that it was indeed a room in which I was standing. I felt closed off. _Quite frankly, that isn't really important at the moment,_ I scolded myself.

When I rotated my head to the right there before me, in physical form, was Rachel. I swallowed my anxiety remembering that I promised one very special vampire that I was coming home to him; I knew Rachel would help me find my way. Here she was, standing casually before me making good on her promise.

She was beautiful, radiantly so. It also slightly jarred me to see that we had many similarities. She had ashy blond hair and dark, electric blue eyes. She wore a black gown that clung to her gorgeous hourglass curves. There was a hint of cleavage as the black gown, more of a robe, swooped down low in the front collecting in horizontal ruffles of fabric. She was smiling at me with straight, white, pearly teeth. She smiled as if she was proud of my accomplishments thus far. The upward tilt of her lips unnerved me; it was much like a smile one would give to a newly successful child.

"You did it as I knew you would," If possible, her lips spread wider in glee. Clasping her hands together and entwining her long, delicate fingers, she stepped toward me very gracefully. "It was such a touching moment, the last you had with him. I didn't want you to be alone. I was there and I have been watching over you since you've made it to this realm. Don't worry, you are safe."

I bit back some bitterness that came suddenly, leaving an unsavory taste on the back of my tongue. That moment I wished had remained private, but I couldn't voice my opinion. It wouldn't be right or even fair. She was helping me, after all.

The questions, 'How do I get back?' and 'Is Eric safe?' were on the tip of my tongue, but the words, "What is this place?" came out instead.

Her penetrating gaze left my face for just a moment to survey the area, the greyish room we occupied. "This is Limbo." She said, facing me once more. There was a twinkle in her eyes which made her all the more beautiful. "This is oblivion before the final end. People with unresolved issues _usually_ reside here."

"For how long?"

"For as long as it takes for them to find out where they need to go, to make peace with their ends," She shrugged. "You came here, Sookie, because you need to figure out where you want to go. Also, because you were not supposed to die."

"Come again?" I raised an eyebrow. Deciding then that I had enough of sitting, I got to my feet and paced around the area. "What do you mean I was not supposed to die?"

"Everyone has multiple points in life, multiple roads," Rachel began to walk next to me. She clasped her hands in front of her once more, smiled at me prettily, and continued, "Think of it as a tree with several branches, or a wheel with several spokes, or even a fork in the road. Now, imagine that you come upon one of these instances with several different smaller branches, spokes, or side roads, and depending on what you decide to do; it will change your outcome. You might go down one road instead of the other." She stopped and blinked several times. Her long, dark blond eyelashes caught my eye, they were so feminine. She brought up her hands gesturing around us and said, "This, Sookie, was but one path you could have taken," Rachel gazed at me steadily judging my reactions though there were none, and then she continued. "You chose an unselfish path; to save thousands of people stranded somewhere they did not belong. This is not something everyone chooses. Everyone is born with an instinct to guide them away from choosing this path. But you? You did something only one other person in known history ever did in all of existence on the planet Earth; therefore; you broke the future for yourself."

"I don't understand," What she said didn't sound good at all.

"Relax," She reached up to touch me, but right before she did she pulled her hand away, seemingly thinking better of it. "You've just become something _more_ than what you were."

I scoffed. "What are you saying? Like I'm a God?"

The look she was giving me was quite serious. "As close to one as you will ever be," She told me. I gulped. "Will that last after you return? No, I don't think so. There are rules still. You just can break more than I can."

"What do you mean?"

"You have options, several in fact. More than I ever did."

"So you don't have any options now?" I concluded.

"In the end? No, I do not," She didn't sound too sad about this. "I stayed behind here because my duty had not been fulfilled. You were my destiny, Sookie, helping guide you through this was my destiny. Once I am done here, my final fixed point will have ended, and I will have accomplished what is keeping me in Limbo and I shall move on."

"Where will you go?" I asked.

"That," She smirked brightly, beautifully, _playfully_, "is the greatest question of all, isn't it?"

Instead of replying because I knew I wasn't going to be getting an answer anytime soon I asked, "How do I go back?"

"Is that what you truly want?"

"Of course!" I said instantly, turning on the spot to pin her with a glare. "I want to get back to him."

There was sudden sadness in her eyes that made me cringe on the inside. She had loved Eric. It wasn't like I could forget it. Standing here now, the area we occupied seemed to grow smaller and more uncomfortable. Finally, she seemed to steel herself and blink away her emotions.

"I had to make sure. You don't have to go back. I know how easy it is to love the peaceful atmosphere this place has. It's supposed to make you feel this way. The workings above want to move people from here as fast as they can. You don't want a place like this to be too crowded." She looked around the grayed room. "Though, you were able to change the _mood_ of the room, one of your talents you've received since coming here it would seem. That hasn't been done." She smiled again, winking in my head.

"There is no one here," I shook my head, ignoring the part where she tried to tell me I was a Goddess again.

"Yes, there are, you just haven't opened the door to linger with them." She chuckled. "But, none of that matters if what you truly want is to go back. Best leave the questions of this place until you die your final death."

"So I am still going to die?" I raised a brow, smirking for the first time.

"Everyone dies, Sookie," She replied her smile slowly falling from her face. "One day, everything will come to an end, even the Supernaturals, even _Vampires _who seem to have an unlimited timeline. They do not. Do you have to worry about that anytime soon? Probably not, but I'm not the one truly pulling the strings."

"I'm not scared," I told her. "I need to go back."

Rachel gazed at me openly before a sad smile adorned her beautiful face, "I know why he loves you now. It's the same reason he chose me in the beginning. We both have a fire in our souls that attracts him," My stomach dropped. I had not wanted to hear such a thing, but I didn't interrupt her. I couldn't. It wasn't right to, but I was sorely tempted. "Yet, your fire is much more than I could have ever hoped to have, Sookie. You truly are his soulmate." She tilted her head to the side before turning her gaze completely away from me to a spot on the wall where a door began to grow out of nowhere. "You have made your decision. That is your way back, but it's difficult to explain. Even I do not know what lies behind that door, other than that it will be the harshest thing you will ever experience."

"What is it?" I eyed the door with apprehension.

"It's called The Trials," Her tone was strained, daunting, and grim for the first time. "Once you go through, you cannot come back. Your fate is sealed and if you should fail…" She was shaking her head heavily, slowly. Her ashy blond hair swayed as she did so.

My voice trembled while I whispered, "If I should fail…?"

"That's something I cannot tell you for I do not know, though it's not good, Sookie. Do you still want to choose that door?"

"Yes," I made my lips move, though they felt frozen together.

"Then it's my time to say goodbye."

I nodded, taking two steps forward before her hand reached out and grabbed my own. I looked down at her hand before I looked at her. She looked sad once more. "If you make it back, and I am sure you probably will… Take care of him, please."

I wanted to say 'You don't have to tell me to do that. It's not your place,' but I couldn't. Out of courtesy, I bowed my head. She had risked everything for this day to come. She spent so long in Limbo waiting for me, only to help me return to the man we both loved. Though I felt jealousy because of this woman in the end I didn't want to be spiteful, especially to her pretty face. I owed her more than that.

My hand tightened in her grasp and I forced myself to smile, it wasn't that hard to do, but my lips trembled.

"I will. Thank you, Rachel, for all that you have done for me."

She nodded, but spoke nothing more.

"Goodbye," I whispered as I tugged my hand out of her grasp and continued to the door.

It wasn't really a door, more like a slab of blackened, decaying bark with a strange large knocker on the front. It was tarnished gold in the shape of a realistic looking snake with very long fangs coiled around an apple. The fangs were piercing the skin of the fruit. I hesitated to grab it and I realized my uncertainty was justified when the snake uncoiled slightly from the apple, it's fangs extracted from the fruit while it's jeweled and crimson, sparkling eyes bore into my blue ones. I fell into a trance instantly and my head grew fuzzy when I heard the snake speak to me in my head.

_Prick your finger. _It hissed. _I require a blood offering_.

_Could I bleed in Limbo? That _was what popped into my head first.

I gulped down the nervousness and licked my dry lips while I brought my finger to the left fang and pushed upward. There was a small sting of pain, but it was nothing major. I pulled my hand away instantly while the snake uncoiled even further from the apple and closed its mouth. I watched my blood boil to the surface on my finger before slowly sucking back under my skin. The skin then resealed itself under my watchful eyes. _Interesting_, I thought to myself.

_Thank you. _The snake whispered inside my mind.

The door swung open and revealed a dark space within, pitch black. The light from my side of the threshold of the door couldn't penetrate the darkness, like the Black Holes on Symperia. If anything, it seemed to eat the light from my side, bleeding into the wall in a very dark shade of grey.

I had a moment of doubt begin to churn in my stomach and I looked over my shoulder for support from the witch. Rachel was still there, still watching me. I gulped as she nodded her head once, stiffly, and motioned with her hands to move through the door.

Taking a deep breath, my head snapped back to the darkness. I forced my trembling legs forward and through the threshold of the door I went. The door slammed shut behind me, and a very loud locking was heard. I jumped at the sound.

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><p>I stood in the blackness for what felt like an eternity before I suddenly felt another presence right behind me. The hair on the back of my neck stood and goosebumps rose on my skin. A prickling sensation ran through my entire body and made me acutely aware that I was not alone and that I was being watched like a hawk. I turned on my heels and came face to face with a pair of eyes a few feet away from me right where, presumably, the door had once been. All I could see was two glowing, bright grey eyes while a husky, dreamy voice began to speak from that direction.<p>

"Sookie Stackhouse," The male voice spoke dramatically. "You have chosen The Trials. You cannot go back now. You have chosen your fate," He told me. "You must complete several obstacles to even hope to make it back to the mortal world. If you should fail, your soul will be deemed unworthy, and they will give you to me to _serve_ for all eternity." He never specified who 'they' were and what exactly the serving I would do was if I didn't make it through. It was all very dismal. "I bid you good luck," He finished.

The room began to lighten slowly and, for the first time, I saw the man who was in this place with me. He was like a shadow in the darkness, an inky black mass, and I couldn't make out many details other than those eyes. Those eyes frightened me more than anything.

He gave off such a dreaded feeling that it made me want to cry. His presence alone made me think of all the losses I had ever endured; my mother, my father, my Gran, and my Grandpa, and my friends, even though they were not dead. I felt as if I was suffocating, drowning in every moment of sorrow that I had ever gone through. I gripped my sides caving in on myself for protection, but nothing I did could stop the feelings while they bombarded me.

He smiled though when he noticed my pain. He could have even been enjoying it for all I knew. The smile stretched across his shadowy face, a harsh white contrast to what I couldn't see of the rest of his features. It was a leering smile much like that of the Cheshire cat, unnatural. It made my skin crawl. There was such a thick sense of foreboding in the air, like electricity crackling while he watched me. I almost gave into my weakness to beg for forgiveness as if he could offer such a thing. Maybe he could, but I doubted he would.

"Onto the first challenge, we go. _Welcome to the Labyrinth_!" He announced brightly before disappearing into thin air with a twist of his body.

I turned on the spot where the light began to brighten even more, like a sunrise, and I took in my surroundings for the first time. It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen and the scariest too. It had a very distinct smell in the air that I knew right away, the strong scent of roses and the undeniable smell of decay, rotting flesh, bodily fluids of all kinds, the whole nine yards. I covered my nose, gagging while I looked around quite certain I was going to vomit. I did so a moment later when the wind picked up and blew the stench in my face as if in greeting. I turned to the left and emptied the contents of my stomach until I was only dry heaving with my hands shaking against my knees for support. _Well, now that that's out of my system and I know for certain I can puke, bleed, and feel pain, best be off on this _fine_ journey,_ I thought hopelessly.

I turned back to the landscape.

The high green hedges of the labyrinth opening stood before me. It was lush and deep, vibrant with numerous colors of roses growing from very sharp, very _pointy_ vines, and thorns. Some of the colors of the beautiful flowers I didn't even know. I had no way to describe them with my vocabulary. Some of the roses were colors on the spectrum that humans could not detect with their eyes, I was sure of it. I guessed at the possibility that I wasn't exactly human anymore.

Looking up, I saw that the sky was on fire, bright red and hot moving gases took up the whole atmosphere. It looked like what I imagined the Sun would look like close up. It was hot here, very hot. I knew right away that I was sweating profusely. I hated to sweat.

Then I had the most terrifying thought, so suddenly that my body chilled and my lungs literally squeezed the air trapped inside.

It was the thought that I must be bordering the line of Heaven and Hell, and I was so afraid! No, I was absolutely _petrified,_ but I knew there was no turning back. I couldn't very well stay in this exact spot forever. The only thing I could do was move forward and began the Trials.

I took tentative steps toward the opening of the hedges. I was not brave, I didn't even have any hope at that time that I would succeed, but still I moved forward and through the archway. The green bush moved shut behind me, and the thorns and vines wrapped in the front like a giant lock. _Crap_.

The Trials were more challenging than I could have ever imagined, and would break me in ways I never thought I could be broken, but, at that time, not knowing what would happen to my very soul was the only thing that kept me walking to my impending doom.

_Eric, Eric, Eric… _I chanted over and over again. I kept a clear mind, focused on the tasks at hand, and prayed to God that I would know what to do.

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><p>I've faced so many Trials, at least thirty in a row. Some challenged endurance and willpower while others were more like puzzles. They were all made up for me alone, it was all very personalized. Everything I had to face were things that made me who I was. They were shaped around my own personality, my fears, my dreams of my past, and, surprisingly, my future. The first few were some of the more difficult and memorable ones. They took the shape of several of the seven deadly sins.<p>

The first was Vanity. I stood before several hundred mirrors in a room. It was just like what you would see in a funhouse at a carnival. Eric was with me standing beside me while I turned to look at myself in the mirror. I was beautiful and young, more striking than even I remembered myself to be. I simply had a glow about me. I was myself when I turned up to kiss Eric. How I missed him so! He smiled down at me while my hand rose up to touch him. I needed to have contact, but my hand was not my own. It was wrinkled and worn. The signs of arthritis were clearly evident as my fingers were bent in an odd way. I had several age spots lingering on the tops of my hands, one rather big one over my first knuckle.

When I began to whimper, panicking, I turned around and looked at the mirrors to see that I had become old. I was as old as Gran was when she had died. My body ached everywhere. My hair was long, thin, and white as snow. There were age spots on my forehead and I had countless wrinkles.

There was also pain in my left arm and my chest felt like it was tightening.

I wanted to beg Eric to turn me, turn me before it was too late. Eric shook his head, his eyes sad as he whispered with a determined voice that was very different from his normal tone, "I don't want you to be like me. You are too good for the likes of darkness. To trade the sun for the moon and stars is not what I want for you."

It was absurd what he was saying. He would never say that to me! He would want me to stay with him for as long as I could. He wouldn't say that to me, would he? No, no, no, I was quite certain that this wouldn't be a problem for _him_. Yet knowing this, I still couldn't help the questions that came tumbling out of my mouth.

"Do you not want me?" I whimpered. My voice was deeper with age and shook just as Gran's had. I touched my own cheek with my right hand, feeling faint, and felt very loose skin.

"I'll always want you," He whispered with eyes that held so much truth. "Until your last breath."

"How could you want me like this?" I spat, disgusted at myself.

He definitely wouldn't be saying this if it were real. I was positive, but the trick had its desired effect by affecting _me_.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and you, Sookie, make one sexy, foxy Granny." A male voice came from behind me. The shadow man was back. He leered at me, though I couldn't actually see him. I just knew. The sense of loss that wafted off of him in waves welled up within me once more. I closed my eyes while he continued, "He obviously doesn't want you to be a vampire. Look at him, he loves you even after you've become old and wrinkled, _sagging_ in all the wrong places."

I bit my trembling, cracked lip when I looked away from him. He was goading me, he knew it, and so did I. I shouldn't let this bother me of all things, but did that mean that this was a fear that I had in the back of my head? I wasn't sure.

"I don't want this, I don't," I shook my head.

"Then make him turn you. Make him turn back the clock," The shadow was next to me then, whispering in my ear, persuading me. "Make him do it. Make him_ want_ to turn you. You want him to be on the same page as you, to have the same wants? You can force him to do it, you know."

His voice lulled me into a sense of calm and security. I opened my mouth to tell Eric what he must do before I suddenly stopped myself. I stood there with my mouth hanging open, peering at my vampire lover who gazed at me with such love in his beautiful blues. My brain sent off a warning. The shadow man almost had me.

_That would be too easy_. _That's not how _he_ likes to play his games_.

It was so tempting though. It hurt to see myself so diminished in front of Eric, embarrassed that he was seeing me for who I was, for who I would become if I chose not to become a vampire at some point in our relationship. I didn't want him to see me this old. Ever.

But then, I knew that it was something we'd have to talk about when I returned to him. We would decide together where our futures were headed. We hadn't talked about it, not that I could remember. Maybe that was the fear? That we never talked about that future possibility? Had I ever thought about becoming a vampire? Had I? Did I…_want_ to? All I knew right at this moment was that I never wanted him to see me this old, but that was as far as I got. For the moment, I thought logically and I knew instantly that if I were to make it back and we had this conversation, I couldn't force_ him_ anymore than he could force _me_. We have too much respect for one another. It had to be a mutual decision, a decision for what I didn't even know the answer was at that moment.

There was one answer for which I was more than certain. I now knew how to beat this trial.

"No, I will not force him," I announced.

The fake Eric as I came to call him smiled so brightly at my words.

"I love you," Eric proclaimed vibrantly, reaching out to grab my hand.

_Yeah, yeah…_ I thought still bitterly, brushing away his hand.

Then I aged even further. The pain in my chest became overwhelming, tightening to the point that I could no longer breathe. I clutched my chest with my hand staggering where I stood.

I ended up dying of a heart attack on the floor in a room full of mirrors with the shadow man standing above me, his glowing grey eyes practically sparkling with mischief and a wicked smile against his inky black mass.

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><p>Envy and Wrath were next. They were lumped into one, and nearly torn my heart apart. I fell from the sky landing in a darkened forest lit only by a single light coming from a cabin-like structure a few paces in front of me. There was smoke rising from the chimney.<p>

I had to get this over with. Obviously, I was meant to head to the cabin.

I walked carefully to the window. I had a vague sense that I knew I wasn't going to like what I was about to see. Every instinct told me to turn tail and run as far away as I could when I heard the telltale signs of lovemaking. Still, I carried on with my heart hammering in my chest as quickly as the wings of a hummingbird.

Steeling myself, I forced my eyes to peek through the window and past the blowing brown piece of cloth that passed for a curtain.

That was when my heart gave out for the second time in The Trials. The beating muscle practically dislodged itself and plummeted down to my feet.

There, next to a hearth, next to an open, warm, blazing fire were Eric and Rachel on a pile of furs.

He was holding her hands above her head in one of his own, while the other was busy pulling her perfect, pink nipple in his fingers while he took her. I watched in absolute horror as he leaned down and kissed her, just as he always kissed _me_. He then leaned his forehead against hers. His lovely hair fell down across his right shoulder and mixed with hers.

"I love you," He clearly whispered.

My eyes grew wide, and my hand came up to hold in the aching sob that ripped through my throat, and I stumbled away from the window falling to the ground on my bottom. I sat trembling at how those words had affected me so badly. I could feel the tears spring to my eyes as my heart squeezed tightly. I felt as if I was going to throw up, yes, I was definitely going to be sick. My mouth was sweating enough for it.

"Young love," The shadow whispered, leaning against the window. "Look at him, really going at it. He's fucking her like she's the first woman he's seen in hundreds of years," He chuckled tauntingly. His grey eyes turned to me, always standing out so brightly against the blackness of the shadows. He winked at me before saying, "I wonder if he has fucked you like that?"

"Shut up!" I snarled and turned away, gasping, trying to hold the bile from spewing out of my mouth.

"Everything is out in the open here, sweetheart," He explained. "I already know he has, right before you saved his ass. Oh!" He laughed suddenly, and my eyes turned to stare daggers at the back of his hazy head. "Come look, he's flipped her! Ah, fucking that tight little ass now. It's definitely a sight to behold. I daresay you would look better in that position though."

That was it, that's all it took. I made a dash to the nearest tree where the bile spilled from my lips. I heard the shadow man laughing, and, with a snap of his fingers, I was thrown on my back and dragged by an unseen force to my original spot on the ground. I lay there looking at the stars in the night sky. He chuckled again, snapped his fingers once more and I was forced to sit up. I glared at him in hate. He was fucking disgusting, such a _hateful _and _cruel_ being he was!

"Please, don't do this," My numb lips whispered while I wiped the remaining liquid from my lips.

"Come on, honey," He was next to me in an instant. "I can feel your anger. I can see you're hurt. Get him back, love. You can surely do it," The shadow man brandished a long, old axe in his hands now, beckoning for me to take it.

I heard Rachel gasp out an 'I love you, too!' and I was ashamed to admit that I was sorely tempted to go in and chop her damn head off. My hand had twitched toward the weapon. Instead, I grasped my head in my hands and covered my ears just as a child would.

"It's not real," I whispered more to myself than to him.

His grey eyes seemed to dance. "That is where you are wrong. This was what happened exactly one night before your precious king was thrown through the portal. He's fucked her every single night they have been together. It's all real. It's all history. Their…_relationship_ is all real."

"T-The past is the past," I said rationally, but my hand twitched toward the damn axe once more.

The Cheshire grin was back. "Really? Truly you believe that?"

"Of course," I bit out, my teeth clanking together almost painfully.

"Then tell me something, vixen," He was suddenly leaning over me. I could feel his weight as if he was truly there, but he was nothing more than a shadow, right? I bumped his arm when I fell to my back turning my head because for a second, I thought he was going to try to kiss me. _Not just a shadow_, my head screamed. He continued, "Why did you not tell him about her when you were together?"

"There was no time," Was my automatic response that I grounded out, trying to push him away from me.

"True," His grey eyes grew darker, "Oh, but I forgot to mention something we have in common. I can read _your_ mind, like you do with so many others, and though you might have believed that there was no time before your untimely demise, I now know that even if you were to return to the mortal plane, you still have no intention of telling him."

My eyes grew wide. "T-That's not…." I tried, but he cut me off with a wiggle of his finger.

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't lie to me, love! It's okay to be jealous of your beau and his previous lovers," He came even closer. "How about we settle this, hmm? You can get him back."

He reached up and snapped his fingers for a third time and instantly Eric and Rachel came out from the tiny little house. They were both very much naked. Eric had his hand wrapped around Rachel's middle protectively while he looked at me. _My_ vampire smirked in my direction. It was one I had never seen, one that screamed danger, not love.

"If you won't kill him, at least kill her," The shadow man spoke.

"No," It was a swift answer and one that hurt to release.

His grey eyes sparkled while he laughed. He snapped his fingers once more.

Rachel moved forward, her hand coming to grab Eric's and she tugged him to my side. I was shaking like a leaf when she lay down next to me and turned her head to my side. I tried to scoot away from our shoulders which were now touching, but the shadow man held me firm on the grass. Rachel then smiled tauntingly at me. The shadow man laughed again, possibly because of how I knew my face was stuck with a horrified look.

"Don't do this to me, please, don't make me watch…" I begged the shadow man.

"Fuck me," Rachel said to Eric, though her eyes held mine instead. There was a fire burning in her eyes.

"No, don't!" I screamed, but my words had no effect when he climbed on top of her once more.

As if I wanted to be tormented more by my demons, by the whole fucked up situation, I watched while he grasped his manhood firmly in his hand, positioning him against her core and thrusting in deeply.

I cried out as she moaned in my face. I had to turn my head away from the scene as tears fell from my eyes. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. I was sobbing, my chest jerking forward in a pitiful attempt at an escape from the torture.

"It hurts," The shadow man whispered softly, his voice so unlike it was before. His hand came up to rub against my face, down my cheek and onto my neck. I allowed the contact. It was like he was suddenly and truly feeling pity for what he was causing me to endure. I was sad to admit that I felt like a child who needed coddling and comfort. "I'm so sorry that this causes you so much heartache. Let's be done with them, shall we? End it, Sookie. You can do this."

"How?" I pleaded for an actual answer. My blue eyes met grey.

"Two ways, one or the other. Either chop her bloody head off," He smirked, his white teeth showed through the shadows, "Or truly accept it. Not in here," He tapped my head with his finger, and then moved to my chest where he tapped above my heart. "But in there."

Eric was still having his way with a moaning Rachel. I've never been more hurt emotionally in my life. I would never wish this on anyone, _ever_. To watch him kiss, bite, suck, and fuck someone whom I knew he had been in love with in his past hurt me so badly. To know that his love never actually _stopped,_ that Rachel just made him forget about it, nearly drove me to insanity.

That was my fear. That if he would remember, he would still love her. I knew it was not rational to have such a fear. How was I going to accept something like that when my heart ached and jealousy pumped through my veins?

I lay completely still on the grass as my head turned to look at them once more. Rachel was still looking at me and there was still an evil, wicked smile plastered on her overly beautiful face that made me want to punch it, but I didn't. The pity party in my own soul was taking over and I felt weak.

_Accept. Accept. Accept it, Sookie…_

I have no idea how long I lay there watching the love of my life have his way with this other woman. All the while she gazed at me moaning, smiling horribly, and wickedly at me and my pain. She was taunting me just as much as the shadow man. I was slowly slipping into madness.

She was so very beautiful. I remembered thinking that we did have similarities, and we _did_, but if I had to be honest Rachel was far more beautiful than I ever was. There was something about her that just put me to shame. She was the first woman Eric had loved too, and he _had loved her_. There was no denying it. I could even understand why after meeting her. She was nice, she took risks, and she, too, had a fire within her that drew Eric's attention. She was someone worthy of Eric's love.

This woman that lay before me did not seem beautiful. It was all a part of the trick, the Trial. The shadow man or whoever was running this horrible game wanted me to see her as this evil woman who was my rival, even though that thought was kind of moot; she was dead, after all. It didn't matter though. Maybe this wasn't how _he_ wanted me to see her, but how I felt about her?

Rachel helped me far more than I could ever say. She gave up her love for Eric because she knew I was going to be his destiny. She was just as strong as me, maybe even more so. She was not a woman I should hate, but inspire toward. I should thank her instead of wanting to hate her, but that alone did not stop the anger within me toward her.

That's why she put me to shame. To me, she was in a league of her own and I would never be able to come close to being as good as her. I would never be as good and selfless as her. Yes, I may have died to save everyone, but that was easy compared to what she went through. Watching the love of her life not remember her, watching him move toward a destiny that did not include her, but never being able to move on because her destiny was to help be a guide to the woman that he would also love, effectively taking him completely away from her? She should hate me, instead of the other way around, but she didn't. _That's why_ she was better than I could ever dream to be.

I was a burning ember compared to her, a raging, magnificent fire.

I watched as Eric leaned down and kissed her cheek. He was just as beautiful. His eyes roamed her face freely, taking in her every sigh and moan, even if she wouldn't look at him. The look in his eyes was one I have seen before. The love he had for me that I've seen with my own eyes, reflected in his pools of blue was exactly the same as how he gazed at Rachel now as if she were his salvation, his life.

I _hated_ it. I hated that this woman got the same looks as I have. I've accepted that part, absolutely, one-hundred percent. I still hated it.

_Now it's time to move on… _My subconscious reasoned.

So many more minutes passed as my chest heaved, watching while Eric made love to her in several different ways, speaking in several different languages. I noticed his gentle fingers brushing away her hair from her sweaty face, and then lay on top of her heart to feel it beat under his palm.

_Just as he had done with me…_

_Tragic_ was the only word that flew through my head muddling all the other hateful, sad thoughts that plagued me.

Their love was quite tragic. It came to a sudden end. There were no goodbyes for either of them. Rachel simply made him forget and they went their separate ways, never to speak again. I thought of how badly that must have hurt.

_I got to have a goodbye,_ I thought suddenly. _I got to tell Eric how much I loved him before the end_.

Rachel didn't.

I felt pity suddenly, deeply within me. The raging jealousy pumping through my veins cooled while sorrow for their tragic love story replaced it.

"I am so sorry that you didn't get more time with him," I couldn't believe I had whispered that. I was more shocked that I actually _meant_ it as well.

The snarky, evil smirk froze on her face while her eyes widened. I watched slowly as her smile faded into a look of heart wrenching sadness while Eric stopped pumping into her. Rachel's eyes turned from me to look at Eric finally. Her hand came up to cup his cheek, her thumb rubbed his cheekbone, and she smiled so lovingly at him then. I was well aware of the tears that began to fall from the corners of Rachel's eyes.

Rachel turned to look at me once more and her face was not contorted in evil any longer. She looked at me the same way she had the many times I had seen her with her beautiful smile in place, though her smile was now sad.

"Some things are not meant to be no matter how much we may want them," She told me solemnly. "Thank you."

Suddenly they were gone and the weight on my chest was lifted while I gasped for air and eyed the shadow man who had hopped off of me quite abruptly. His glowing grey eyes held mine and they were calculating.

"Well done," He offered his praise while he cleared his throat. It was the first time he encouraged me. To my surprise he had sounded quite in awe. "You really do surprise me, Sookie Stackhouse." Before I could reply he spoke again swiftly, "On to the next, shall we?"

"Do we have to?" I retorted. My body was still shaking and I was still feeling incredibly ill from what I had seen thus far.

"No, we don't," He mused. "However, you are doing quite well so far. Be proud of your accomplishments, beautiful. These tests are not meant to be easy. They are meant to break you. No matter the pain you are in now, you haven't exactly broken."

He held out his shadowed hand and, with a little hesitation at first, I decided to take it anyway.

* * *

><p>It had been an eternity. I must have lived an eternity here in the Trials. It was always a fleeting thought. I was always wondering how long I have gone on, but time really held no meaning here. I wasn't even sure that it existed in this realm. I once thought that nothing could stop time. I felt as though I was very, very wrong on that now.<p>

Such _agony_ I was in.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip…_

There were hooks in my body, too many to count, and they were so painful. Every inch of my being was snared by rusted, brown, thick hooks that were tied to thick, tarnished silver chains, strung up in every direction on the walls of the small dark room, lit only by two torches in front of me. It looked to be a cell with one door in my direct path. There was light on the other side that peeked through little cracks. The sounds of something dripping, clanking, and whimpering, sometimes screaming, was all that was heard now for _days_ at least. The sound of liquid splashing to the ground from every kind of fluid possibly known to a human was like nails on a chalkboard for me now.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip…_

The chains would tighten every now and then by some invisible force. I would always try to twist so the hooks would come loose, but they never budged. Blood curdling screams that didn't sound human would erupt from my mouth whiles my skin would tear minimally in this process, only to re-heal itself if I stood still long enough. By now, the hooks had somehow grown to be a part of my body as my skin re-grew overtop of them. It only made the experience more terribly painful whenever the sick fuckers that I couldn't see would tighten the links.

Another terrible sound was of ripping skin, my own ripping skin to be more precise. It had actually made me vomit on more than one occasion.

_Drip…drip…drip…drip…_

_That sound is driving me up the wall, _I screamed in my head.

I stopped struggling once more, my breath coming out in harsh little pants. The air I had just pulled in hitched in the back of my throat and made me cough violently, spitting up blood which lingered on my lips and chin. I stared at the door that was my salvation with anger. I roared suddenly, high pitched in frustration. The action made my lungs burn and ache.

I had changed in so many ways as well. I was barely the little _girl_ I once was before I died. Some days, I didn't recognize myself. _Was there any part of me, my personality, untouched by this place?_ I questioned miserably to myself.

I was not alone in the cell, my own personal hell. I was never alone in the Trials to be honest. _He_ leaned against the door and was a shadowy figure no longer. He looked quite human, but he was anything but a man. Maybe once long ago he walked on the mortal plane, but he hadn't been human in thousands and thousands of years.

The fright I had once felt in his presence diminished as time went on. He no longer frightened me to be around or, better yet, disgusted me. The sense of dreaded loss that I once could not escape whenever he was around seemed to die down as well or maybe I just simply didn't care about that kind of hurt any longer.

I came to know him as Death.

Throughout my ordeals he would taunt me, and then flirt with me. He would try to push me forward contradicting himself all the while as he tried to tear me down, but he never once left me alone. I never had to fear the isolation of this damned place. I had a companion.

Death watched me intently with those grey eyes of his before pushing off the wall and pacing in front of me. He was beautiful, breathtakingly handsome. The most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on, if I had to be honest. When his shadow disappeared about a dozen of Trials ago, I finally got to see him for whom and what he was. He had told me in a light, excited, _flirty_ tone that he 'wanted me to see what I was missing'. It definitely had been something.

He had medium-length light brown, thick hair that came down just barely to his shoulders in waves most of the time, but right now it was pulled back and there were two braids hanging on the left side of his head above his short sideburns. He had a five o'clock shadow. It accentuated his strong chin and high cheekbones. The cheekbones one might say looked angelic. He had a tanned skin tone that contrasted well with his hair, and he was muscular. It sometimes hurt to look at him.

He had never left me alone and had gone through this journey with me. He knew things about me that no one else ever had, or probably would. He had seen me laugh when I succeeded, seen me cry, seen me exceed and had seen me fail. He had seen me morph into who I was now from who I used to be. He was with me in that transition. It spoke volumes.

Death, at that very moment, seemed thoughtful while he looked me over, his hand coming up to scratch his chin as he deliberated. The action made a nice sound, different from the ones I had tired of. His eyes went to the chains and hooks, gazing at them in his calculating way. I must have been a sight to see. I was like a netted fish with thousands of hooks in my body rooting me to a single spot on the floor, dangling just above a puddle of every possible fluid my body had. I couldn't even be embarrassed about that; I didn't have the strength for something as trivial as embarrassment. All that mattered was that I somehow got out of these chains, but no matter what I did or what I tried; I was unable to break free, to wriggle out of them.

My clothes had been torn countless times, leaving me completely vulnerable in front of this man. He had seen every inch of me, everything I had to offer and yet, I was way past caring about dignity. It was one of the first things I lost in the Trials.

My nakedness didn't seem to turn his head though this time. My dire situation had stopped his flirty behavior for ages now. He had barely looked at my naked body other than to see where the hooks were digging into my flesh. _Which parts didn't have hooks in it? _That wasmy self-witty retort.

Those eyes of his still put me on edge while they raked over my body before looking at the chains in the wall with a scowl. They were the eyes that have seen every living person die all by his own hands. I was sure that if I looked deep enough, I would see the horrors on all the faces of the people who had died.

Death seemed to be upset, but not toward me, unable to break free or otherwise. It was as if he did not like what my last Trial resulted in being. He had told me that he'd never seen hooks and chains such as these in this place. These bindings were the works of _Hellish_ quality.

That did not bode well in my soul.

"It's because of the vampire," He complained viciously. "They do not want your soul to return to him. You are a great beacon of light; so pure, so clean, and they think you want to taint yourself."

"I guess I do!" I snarled while I rattled against the chains. Burning, blinding pain shot through me in several different locations at the same time and made me whine pitifully. Bursts of light shot behind my eyes while the agony of it all nearly sent me into convulsions. When I thought I could continue I spoke brokenly. "He was made into what he was and God is never wrong. If God did not want vampires in the mortal world, he would have never created them! They wouldn't exist!"

"I'm not talking about _God!_" Death spat. He said it in such a way my faith wavered for an instant. He said it as if God didn't exist, or wasn't around any longer. His head snapped in my direction when the chains tightened and I was lifted higher off the ground. Another horrifying scream ripped through my mouth. He continued, though strained, "God does not control this place. The First Children guard these walls." His eyes grew soft and his voice was now pleading. Who would have thought? Death was pleading with me. "Sookie, just stop. You will not get out of these chains. Your Trial is done if they choose it to be. I will treat you and your soul well, I promise."

"That's not fair! We had a deal!" I screamed my voice breaking. "I'm not giving up. You will not trick me!"

I gasped as the hook that was embedded in my left side above my hip became loose as my skin began to tear. It slid across my stomach, creating a gaping gash that blood easily poured out of much as a bucket being turned over. It continued to rake across my skin at such a slow pace that it made me cry more intensely than I have ever cried in my entire life.

Death was next to me in a flash, grabbing the hook in his hand and holding it as still as he possibly could. His hands shook and he growled deeply within his chest. It was an effort for him to hold it still. I saw the muscles in his arms straining.

"It's not a trick! _Please_!" His eyes shot up to mine boring into my own with such emotion that I couldn't even begin to fathom what was going through his brain in that short amount of time. "I cannot watch this anymore," He confided in a shallow voice, rough and hollow. "We've been on this stage for over two years, Sookie, two whole years of your screams and pain in this single spot."

So it had been over two years on this stage alone. It felt like much longer.

I gazed as steadily at him as I could, my body trembling because I simply couldn't stop the constant pain it endured. I wondered why he was doing this to me. The salvation was right there. He had told me so himself. I couldn't just give up. I didn't want to give up, but I was so very tired, so very weak. The pain was truly too much to bear. His one hand left the hook. The metal object jerked slightly, but he was able to hold it still while his other cupped my cheek in his calloused hand. I closed my eyes for just a second welcoming the physical contact I hadn't felt in a long time. I whined in the back of my throat.

I felt something odd in my chest, a fluttering of sorts for the pain that I saw in his eyes, the pain for _me_. He was the only person I had seen in so long. I grew accustomed to him in ways I never thought I would. To see him pleading with me in such a way to stop when I was sure he never said anything like that to anyone else who had taken this challenge actually hurt me more than the hooks digging into my skin in that instant. For one quick moment, an affectionate feeling for this man overwhelmed me as I looked down into his pools of grey. I wavered in my resolve. For one tick of a second, I thought it would be alright, great even, to call it a day and die and allow him to take my soul to do whatever he wanted to do with it. I had a feeling that whatever happened to me if I would stop wouldn't be as bad as what I was going through now. He wouldn't allow it, after all, he had promised. To be with my constant companion for the rest of eternity wasn't nearly as frightening as it should have been. For just a second, it was even appealing.

It was gone just as quickly when I looked at the door and saw such bright light peeking through the cracks, winking at me, beckoning me _home_. I could even vaguely remember _his _voice begging me to return to him.

"I love _Eric_," I voiced aloud and my voice broke on his name, my vampire. It was something I knew had to be said right then while he gazed up at me with such passion. I also had to say it for _me_. I had to remind myself that my soulmate was waiting for me. I willed the tears not to fall from my eyes.

I had changed, yes, but what had not was my love for him. I knew that now. I knew that I still loved him and still wanted to go home to him.

Yet, at the end of the day, because I was a changed person, because I had been through so much, I felt sorrow and guilt for what Death had come to mean to me along the way of trying to get home to Eric.

Death was my friend, my companion, he was…_something_ _more_. I hated to admit that he somehow wiggled his way into my very soul without my consent and made me rely on him and… and _care_ about him. I didn't understand exactly what I felt for this breathtakingly beautiful being who never allowed me to wallow in this hellhole alone, but it was there within me, even if I didn't want it. Yes, he was something _more_, but wasn't _enough_. No, I loved Eric and no matter whatever _this_ was between us, it didn't matter. I would throw it all away to see Eric again. I would not allow Death any deeper within the confines of my heart, I couldn't, and I wouldn't. It belonged to _Eric_.

Death jerked back as if I had slapped him, scorched him to his core with my words. His eyes narrowed into slits. He nodded stiffly before dropping his grip on the hook. It continued its jagged course across my stomach. I screamed bloody murder, bawling while I stared down at my lower half the best I could. I could see my insides. A sound between a horrified giggle and a cry escaped my lips as I jerked and bobbed up and down on the chains.

"Then let them tear you to shreds," He told me, condemning me in a biting tone. He turned completely away from me. My heart dropped and I hated that it did so. I hated that I wished he would turn around and encourage me to continue because he had become my hope, my strength, but I guess I deserved it, in a way.

I sniffed, closed my eyes tightly, and bit my brittle, dried lips.

_Tear me into shreds? _I questioned to myself suddenly. My eyes popped open.

Then it all became clear. I had been trying to dislodge myself from the hooks, trying to somehow to wriggle out of them since I was here. It wasn't going to be that simple. If I wanted as Death said, 'to taint my soul,' then I had to rip myself free from this bondage.

With fresh hope that I acquired nearly on my own and with determination, I pushed my weight down, and my feet barely touched the slick floor before I started moving. I forced my body forward as the chain and hooks protested, trying to pull me back to my original spot, but I wasn't having it. I slipped once, maybe twice, in the puddle of my own fluids, but it didn't deter me.

The pain was blinding. I screamed, I cried, I begged for the end, I begged for salvation, I begged for Death, and I begged for Eric. My salvation was right there, the door _right in front of me_. My Eric was right there on the other side. Right. There.

The hooks shredded my skin, pulling off chunks of my flesh and muscles straight down to the bone as I pushed forward, but I did not stop. I would not stop.

When I was nearly to the door, I knew I was unrecognizable. I was barely more than a walking skeleton with ripped muscles and hanging, shredded flesh.

I was there, _almost there, _before I collapsed. I wasn't able to move my legs anymore when the last few nerves broke apart. I crashed to the dirty floor falling into the small pond of my blood that followed me to my current spot. With not much strength, I willed my arm to move trying to push the door open, but I was still too far away. I noticed my hand which was nothing but bloody bones. There was no flesh left on them.

I could not reach the door. I had fallen far too soon. I attempted to drag my body, bawling and wheezing the whole while, but it still wasn't enough. I had no strength left. I had nothing left.

I was not going to make it. I had failed.

Just when I was about to say it was over, something incredible happened that made my heart leap in my chest, though I was aware that it shouldn't have, I shouldn't have let it because he wiggled just a _bit_ deeper into my heart by his actions even though I had just promised myself I wouldn't allow it.

What happened was against the rules of this place. Death looked down at me for the first time since he turned his back to me. The sorrow in his eyes matched my own, and then he pushed the door open and the bright white light burned what remained of my eyes. I gasped when he leaned down and plucked me from my pathetic spot on the ground and held me against his chest. He did not care that there was really nothing left of me while he held me tightly. His touch was ice cold, much colder than Eric's ever was.

Death whispered by what remained of my ear, "You are a survivor, a warrior. Sookie, I…" He stopped himself from finishing what he was going to say. I wouldn't say I was disappointed that he didn't finish his sentence, but it left me with an odd, incomplete feeling deep within what remained of me. He sighed so heavily in my ear before pulling me back, his lips brushed against my face, which was still for the most part intact. I felt the chill of his lips long after he pulled away and gazed at me steadily. Without reason to do so, even though the rational part of my mind screamed at me not to what I was about to do, I brought up my bloody, bone fingers to lay on his cheek and I gazed into his eyes with such gratitude. My blood smeared against his beard. Death didn't seem to mind as his grey eyes disappeared behind his lids for a brief moment before they snapped open once more.

His grey pools held mine as he said in a ringing tone, deep and strong, "You've beaten the Trials."

Then he roughly pushed me toward the bright light.

I woke up gasping for air.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter Notes: <strong>

*Dodges thrown objects* I'm sorry! It HAD to be done! Had to! I tore my OWN heart out with this chapter. Really, I went to some very dark places while writing this chapter. I had even worse things planned to be honest, but decided that it might be going a bit _too far _with what I had previously. I cut back….doesn't seem like I did, huh? /cry. Forgive me if I DO promise a happy ending? :D

**Important: **Just a precaution really, because hurtful reviews do actually hurt. I KNOW that you want a fluffy ending, and you will indeed be getting a happy ending. I wouldn't just leave you with a horrible finale with no bright future for our favorite pairing. *cough, cough* CH. *Cough, Cough* Alan Ball.

It will be a happy ending with a twist – err – you'll see what I'm talking about soon enough.

I swear right now that I WILL give you as much closure as I can and hopefully even some fuzzy feelings. They will see each other again, if it is not obvious by now.

I know that doing a chapter like I have just done is a risky move. I myself did not like the torture scene in the books and was very angry that it was in there myself. And I am aware that this chapter might go over badly with you all. I remember I had ranted to a lot of friends about the books and the torture scene in the one. So, it's safe to say that I had a lot of anxiety about this chapter for a very long time and I'm quite ready to hear what you all have to say now.

But, I ALWAYS knew that in _this_ story Sookie would have to go through something incredibly horrible to make it back to the land of the living. I always knew this was how it was going to end, or at least, something like this. There were things that changed, but I knew that Sookie would have to go through deep, _deep_, troubling darkness before she could find the light again.

I wanted something believable. To have her die only to show back up all happy with tons of fluffy goodness, and a happily ever after without having to work for it, was not what I wanted to do. I needed to show a great struggle of what it would take to get her back to the land of the living, and this is where my mind took me. It was never, ever, EVER, going to be easy. I knew that half way through this story.

Constructive criticism is great. Now, I don't mind if you say you hated the chapter or if you are angry with me. I totally understand that it's probably even justifiable. I was even angry with myself for a long time that _THIS_ was where I was led. I threw the chapter out at least ten times over in the last year.

But what I will not stand for is absolute flames, and I really, really hope I don't get any. :X I might just die of sadness. Lol.

Overall, I just wanted to state that I stand by what I did with this chapter and I'm sorry-not-sorry for it. I'm even kind of _proud_ of it, in a way. I do hope you understand and I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, even if it wasn't your cup of tea.

And, you will not have to wait for the next – and last – chapter for very long. I should have it up no later than Friday, if I'm lucky. Don't worry. I still love you, even if you bite my head off in the reviews. *Big Hugs!*

**Also:** Okay, a few of you have suggested songs that remind you of Folklore, and I have listened to each one! I want to share them with you here as well, if you are ever curious of what your fellow readers have suggested to me, as well!

**Ashmo2000** suggested: _A Thousand Years_ by Christina Perri. I absolutely love that song so very much!

**True Moon Twilight** suggested: _Closer (My Love)_ by Entwine. I have never heard of it before, but I listened to the song and AHMUHGAWD – _loved_ it! Absolutely spot on, fellow Moon. ;)

**Nedbella** suggested: Enya – there wasn't a specific song, but I absolutely LOVE Enya! I will suggest _Only Time_by Enya because it's just…UGH! :D (I cry almost every time when I hear it.)

**Suzyq59** suggested-not-exactly-suggested: _Seasons of Love_ by the cast of RENT. I added that because….well, I am a HUGE Rent fan. I even saw the musical on Broadway when I was in high school. Girl, I am glad you caught that in the story and took a listen! :D Also you can check out _Without You_ by the cast of Rent as well, because I listened to that song for the last chapter for this story quite a bit.

And I will suggest: Make You Feel My Love by Adele. However, I like the Glee version better. :x

I hope I did not misspell any of your usernames! :o Sorry if I did! *Big hugs* And, thank you for your suggestions! They were greatly appreciated!

THANK YOU EVERYONE, for your amazing reviews and sticking with me throughout this tale of mine that I love so very dearly. It means so very much to me that you have. I'm sorry I couldn't answer you all individually with the last chapter. Just know that I did/do read every chapter you ever post here and on my other stories. It truly means the world to me that you take the time to do so!

One more chapter to go! Until next time, my lovelies!

*Tips imaginary hat*


	36. Chapter 36

**Author's Notes: **Dearest readers, I am sorry it took a few extra days to get this out to you! My computer wouldn't turn on. My power supply kicked the bucket at the worst possible time. Bad, bad things happen to me and technology hate me. Maybe I need to get a lucky rabbit's foot for emergencies? SO, I rushed to the nearest computer store and then forced my husband to fix the problem. Took a few days, for that I apologize. In that time, however, this story reached over one thousand reviews! That was an amazing Christmas gift! Thanks! ;P

BUT, we are here! We have finally reached the end of Folklore! (I may have cried once or twice while thinking about it). It's a very bittersweet thing. I've been with this tale for so long now that it's kind of hard to let it go. Half of the time, I didn't want to even post the chapter. If I didn't post, it could never end! Ha-ha! But, I would never do that to you. So, here we are now.

Since this is the end and I'm not sure when exactly we will talk again yet, I wanted to wish each of you Happy Holidays now! I hope you enjoy the end of your year in happiness and full of love! I shall be thinking of you all while I rush to the store right after posting this to get my Christmas shopping done. I wouldn't advise waiting this late in the year to do your shopping! Don't be like me. *slaps forehead*

**Also:** There are a few different POVs in this chapter. First is Eric, then it's Sookie, and then there is a bit in third person toward the end. I hope it doesn't become confusing for you.

Give it up for Msbuffi, my beta, one last time. You rock!

Now that all of that is out of the way, on with the chapter!

So, for the last time with this story (*tear*)….

I own nothing, nada, zip, zilch!

XOXO-SharaMoon

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Thirty-Six - Resurrection<strong>

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><p>Every night was a waking reminder that she had not returned to me as she had promised she would. It's been five years, five whole years that she has been gone and there is still no sign of her.<p>

I go to her grave every night with the hope that she will awaken. I look down at the tomb that encases her corpse. That's all it was now, a skeleton in a coffin. Her bones were all that remained of the faery who saved me in more ways than I could even admit.

The night she died is my nightmare every time I close my eyes. I hear her gasp and feel her bones break against my closed fist. I feel the warm muscle, her lifeline as it beats in my hand, and feel her warm blood ooze down my fingers. I see her lifeless body lying on the ground while I'm pulled away from her and there is nothing I can do about it.

To hate myself more than I already did was a feat in and of itself, but I was able to accomplish it with every passing day, with every hour, with every single _minute that passed._ These last five years have passed by unusually slow, painstakingly so. Time used to fly by so quickly for me. One century to the next in a blink of an eye, and yet, these five years dragged on as if it were thousands of years. I grew more and more frustrated at what I had done to her and what I allowed her to do.

A young girl, the woman I loved died to save me, an old vampire. It was absolutely foolish, unnecessary, and… I had been unworthy.

I stood over her grave for the last time before I decided I would be joining her in the afterlife. It seemed as though she was not going to make it back here and I simply couldn't continue on this way. I looked down at the encasement of stone, willing her to feel my love, my devotion, my sadness, and my longing to see her once more. All I wanted was one last moment with her. There was no returning of emotions, the Bond on her side all but shriveled up and faded as she took her last breath.

Where was she? Why did she not return as she _believed_ she would? Why had I accepted it so quickly?

I had grown weary over the years and I was so very tired. That is something in a vampire's existence; once you become tired of the years, when they become too much and you begin to see the world differently, all is lost. It's a telltale sign that your body and, presumably, _your_ _soul_ are done in this life.

There was nothing for me to continue. I had done what I promised those witches long ago. I lead my people back to where they rightfully belonged, all at the expense of the woman I loved. I had no want for the war I had long promised them once I returned. I had no vengeance when I was already so full with such loss.

I had done exactly what they said I might do. I killed her with my own hands. That was the worst of it all. That was what defeated me and kept me from taking my just revenge.

I had stepped down as King once we made it to Earth. There was no point in continuing to be the very thing that I never wanted in the first place. I couldn't fully leave, that was never an option for my people. We chose a Council instead where we all together would decide the law of the people of Symperia in this new world that we now called home.

It had been a strange experience to step through the portal and be standing in the middle of a town with high-rise, metal buildings with glass windows that looked like mirrors, a world that was so very bright you could see it from space. To witness and hear the shock, awe, and fright from the humans who walked the Earth was something I had anticipated, but to hear the shock and awe from my own people hadn't been. The air was dirtier and the land had been used and forged, man-made into whatever they needed it to be. They took more from the earth than they needed to survive, I concluded, city after city, town after town, ocean after ocean. I forget now what this planet looked like before the world and the people evolved.

There was no point to it all. I could no longer find the beauty that I once believed Earth would become. It was everything I had expected, anticipated even, but it did not hold my interests. Nothing did.

There was no hiding our return. We were completely open to the public and it had been quite challenging to make them understand that we meant no harm. It took over a year for us to gain some respect and trust, though we still don't have it fully, and I highly doubt we ever will. They stated in several newspapers, the headlines claiming, '_Vampires come out of the coffin! Supernaturals have come through portals claiming they originated from here!_' It had been everywhere.

We shared our secrets with them, there was no other way. The biggest problem was the vampires need for blood. We were the _scariest_ creatures to befall them. My community and our scientists met the ones of Earth and perfected the synthetic blood together, making greedy corporations richer when they signed on to fund and develop it. That alone took a great deal of fear and skepticism from the humans, but not all. There is always fear of the unknown.

I depended on Pam far more than I should have. She was _my_ child in a new world. I was supposed to be the one who showed her that everything would be perfect, that we should relish in this place, thrive well here, that this new world was exactly what we dreamed of, what I wanted to show her. Instead, she took care of me when I was…not myself.

We had once planned to travel the world when we returned. Now I couldn't find it in me to leave the place where we had settled.

We opened a bar in a town called Shreveport, it had been Pamela's idea and it was just twenty minutes from Sookie's childhood home. People flocked to our doors demanding to be shown the ways of my people, of our capabilities. Curiosity goes hand in hand with fear. Business was going quite well and Pam was very happy among the fresh humans who offered themselves to her to feed from willingly. She once told me that they tasted much better here than on Symperia. I will never know if that was true. I had yet to feed on a human here. I wouldn't. Nothing could taste better than my faery-human hybrid.

It had been problematical to see the places Sookie had once spoken of so fondly. It was even more grim to meet her sibling who looked so very similar to her. I watched him cry in front of me when I told him of her demise even though he had been told previously. Jason off-handedly once said that it was the second time he had mourned the loss his sister so openly in front of people he didn't quite know.

I had once told him that she was expected to return, though he couldn't wrap the idea around his head. Truth be told, I had no idea why I believed it either, but I had.

Jason was quite the human I had come to realize, and though he spoke with a very strong Southern accent and wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, I found that he was rather good company. He had shown me old pictures of Sookie and of their family. He told me story after story of his beloved sister.

He believed every word I ever said to him. He opened his door and welcomed me, even though humans were told to be skeptical of doing such. His trust in me spurred questions for which I needed answers. I had asked on one occasion what made him have such faith in me, and he brought forth a letter that Sookie had written to him on parchment paper from my own castle on Symperia. Jason explained it had been delivered by an elderly woman, Nancy, whom I later learned Sookie had befriended. My beloved had many secrets I learned, but I never felt anger for anything she hid from me after she was gone. It was a fire I would not kindle. I did not need to feel betrayal among the other things I had suffocated with for five years.

Sookie had known I would have come to find her roots. In the letter, she wrote about me, about how much I meant to her. She had wanted to marry me. I had smirked when I read that.

It had been almost too much for me to handle, but I would never say as such aloud. I would never let it show in the presence of Jason Stackhouse. I couldn't.

Back then, I was under the false hope that Sookie would return. I was blind and acting on faith and promises she had wholeheartedly believed, but it still had been very difficult to see the little girl in the pictures as she grew into the woman who owned every part of me. I had a fleeting thought while I looked over the pictures, one that haunts me more now than it did in the beginning. Sookie seemed to have been a very happy child with a great family life, surrounded and encased by love and strong familial bonds. There was proof of it all as I peered at every single photo in multiple albums and I saw her smiling face. Because of me, the witches, and the Fae, she was destined to die, to be tainted by darkness. Her whole existence had been planned, she never had an option.

To see the child with pigtails smiling so brightly over a cake, to the woman a few albums later, smiling slyly after a trick Jason had played nearly drove me insane. My vengeance, my wrath was there to avenge her was within me, but I wasn't able to harness it. It was just out of my grasp and my fingers couldn't catch hold.

Jason had brought out a box after the photos. As I lifted the top to view the contents, he had told me that this had been her most cherished item in the whole world. As I lifted up the lid of the box, I noticed several ripped pages and with a closer inspection I realized that it had words on it. It had been a book. Jason then told me that it was the story of my people. He said their Grandmother read it to Sookie almost every night when she was small and she wrote it out as a book.

The hatred I held for myself began to swallow me whole.

As I bid Jason goodbye, he told me to 'not be a stranger'. It had instantly reminded me of his sister and I stumbled in my steps for the first time in years.

It was something I could have heard her say. As it was after that day, Sookie's voice relayed those same words in my head when I would have to succumb to the morning and leave her tomb every night. 'Don't be a stranger.'

_Don't be a stranger_.

_Don't be a stranger_.

"Then why are you becoming a stranger for me?" I had whispered, staring down at her final resting place.

After that first day, I watched over Jason. It became an almost a nightly thing, something he was not aware of. Quite frankly, I'm not even sure I'd share that information with anyone else. His wife, Chelsea, was in early stages of pregnancy the first time I met him. She was nice, very gracious, though more timid toward me than her husband. Sookie had told me her brother was engaged to be married. She had missed their wedding. I prayed to the Gods that she would not miss the birth of the new addition in her family.

Since many Supernaturals flocked to Louisiana, the state where Sookie Stackhouse, the Savior once lived, I made sure to keep him and his family safe. It was the only thing I had to offer my departed companion.

But as the months passed, the seasons changed, my prayers had not been answered. Jason and his wife brought a daughter into the world. Susanna _Sookie_ Stackhouse. Three S's, though I found it quite idiotic. I had not shared my opinion on the name when Jason showed me the child bundled tightly in a pink blanket. He was not afraid in the slightest when he passed me the infant. He even did so with a smile. I was not good with children, but the girl had been very calm in my arms. She looked quite a bit like Sookie, her eyes for the most part, and I believed that _my _Sookie would have been honored to share her name with this child.

Nancy, whom I later learned was a witch and the one Sookie had befriended, moved to Bon Temps even before I had made my way here. So did the human Tara Thornton and the shifter Sam Merlotte. Alcide Herveaux brought together my guard, started a pack, and moved to Shreveport. We still spoke from time to time.

Sam Merlotte had opened a bar in the small town where Sookie grew up. It was almost exactly the same as the rundown piece of shit he had back in our own world. It was doing well, the last I heard.

As time went on, I grew more skeptical of Sookie's promise. I waited, night after night, year after year, for her to no avail. It was heartbreaking and drove me just a bit more insane with each passing second.

Over the years, I found myself changing. My anger became a short fuse and everyone around me seemed to notice. I was not one for an intervention, it was something I was sure would have been organized if I had not threatened to kill anyone who tried. I caused trouble, fought for no other reason beside the fact that I wanted to fight. I did not care what they thought of me, or what The Council thought of my actions. They were_ below_ me. I did what I did, on my terms, when these bursts of anger consumed me. No one could control me.

Just as I was on the brink of being thrown off The Council and, possibly, put on the list of our more recent _hunting_ endeavors, Pam pulled me back from the edge of insanity. I went from having the zest of a warrior to becoming a shell of who I once was.

I became more of a recluse. I never left the bar, except for my nightly visits to Sookie's grave and to her childhood home where I would hover outside for hours watching over her family.

There were problems that arose around the third year, but I did not have the motivation to do anything about them. Yes, I was angry at what I had learned, but I was not willing to fall into the middle of it. The Council wanted more from me, wanted me to figure out why there happened to be more Supernaturals in the world than how many came through the portals. No matter what I did to sabotage myself, they still looked at me as their leader. They still wanted me to stand up and take charge, but I couldn't do it. I was not a good leader, not anymore. I was not even in the right frame of mind at that time. I told them to figure it out themselves and walked out. It wasn't that hard to make a few guesses, even Jason Stackhouse could tackle a few ideas of his own on that problem.

I haven't been back since. The Council has yet to start an investigation on the subject. _Idiots_.

Pamela had also hit her own breaking point with me. She couldn't stand my constant 'hiding' as she called it, telling me that she did not promise Sookie to watch over me for nothing. The night she told me I nearly murdered her. In the heat of the moment and with much regret now, I released her from our bond and I told her to leave me in peace. I knew that all I was going to do was bring her down the spiral I had fallen into with me and I didn't want that, but she never did leave. She stuck by her promise, telling me multiple times that she believed Sookie would return.

It was a daily thing. 'Maybe today is the day', she would say. She never gave up hope. It was for my benefit alone. I was certain she did not believe it herself, but her words stuck with me. The conviction she had when she said those words daily gave me a shred of hope once more.

Pamela is the only reason why there is still a part of me that wishes for Sookie's return, still hopes, still believes that, 'Maybe today _is_ the day.'

Even while I stood at the edge of the forest cemetery next to her childhood home where her body laid several paces away, I wasn't quite sure what I had planned on doing. I wasn't quite sure what I expected after living such a long life. It wasn't that I wanted to meet the True Death exactly, I was just tired.

I was tired of feeling that she wasted her life on me, tired of not living up to the expectations that people needed from me, tired of walking the new world absolutely alone. Most of all, I was tired that the witches were _right_, that the premonitions were right. I was nothing without Sookie Stackhouse and I wouldn't survive it.

So I waited for the sunrise not quite sure of anything, but tired of everything.

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><p>I woke up gasping only to realize there wasn't enough air for me to even gulp into my lungs. They burned. They ached. Everything felt as if it was on fire, like the burning sensation you have after receiving a cut or scrape, times a million.<p>

I wasn't able to move. There was something chilly on either side of me as if I was encased in something. I brought my aching hand up and touched whatever it was above me. It felt like stone. Something fell into my eye and I hissed, immediately trying to rid myself of the debris.

_Where am I? What is going on? _

These were all valid questions that spun in my brain while I tried to figure out what was happening. I grit my teeth as a painful, sharp twinge in my chest began to eat me alive. I heard a crackling sort of a sound, and it faintly reminded me of the time that Gran had to reset Jason's broken nose.

_How did I get here? _

I couldn't remember anything for the first few minutes while I struggled to escape what could only be a tomb. A _tomb_…

_I died! That's right! I died!_ Nothing else came forward. My mind was as blank as if it had been wiped clean. To know you are forgetting something, but can't figure out what that might be had to be one of the worst things to plague me in that moment of sheer terror.

"Help me!" I tried to yell, but it stuck in my throat and I gagged instead.

My throat was incredibly dry and my mouth felt like sandpaper.

Before I could stop myself I began crying, but it sounded odd in my ears. It was more of a wheezing than anything. I tried once more to lift the lid of my tomb, but it was far too heavy and my arms shook violently with the effort.

"Eric!" My brain clicked over when I cried out the name.

_Eric?_

A moment passed before hazy memories came to me of a vampire with long, blonde hair and striking blue eyes, the King of my fairytale. _Eric Northman_! Pam! Alcide! Mae! Sam! Tara! Nancy! _Rachel_!

_That clever witch! Rachel was right! I must have made it home!_ I wheezed a laughing sob.

I could barely breathe any longer. The small pocket of air that must have lingered with me disappeared. It reminded me of Symperia and how, at the end, I could barely breathe there too.

With my raspy voice so badly damaged, I realized yelling wouldn't get him to me to save me before I died, _again_. I had no idea where he was, I had no idea where _I _was to be honest. I just prayed he wasn't halfway around the world, or worse, on an entirely different planet than me. That was a frightening realization.

I closed my eyes and focused on our bond. It was hard to do. I couldn't exactly find it within me at first. I panicked for a good few minutes while I tried to search for the invisible threads that tethered me to my vampire. When I found the strings, when I had touched the bond, I sobbed in happiness. _We were still connected_!

I began thinking of Eric, of me, of how I was so very happy and yet, so very terrified that I wouldn't get to see him before I suffocated. I focused all of my remaining energy on him and trying to overwhelm the bond with everything I had.

Then I waited.

It was not even two minutes before the lid of the concrete tomb went flying away with a booming crash, and I gasped in a lungful of fresh air as it rushed to me. There wasn't much light, but my eyes still burned at the difference between total blackness and light darkness while I tried to focus on the man before me. I could _see_ him!

Eric looked inside the tomb with wide eyes, and was breathing heavily even though it wasn't necessary. As soon as our eyes met, his arms thrust inside my encasement and wrapped around me. I was hauled upward and onto his chilly chest which felt oddly warm to me at the time. He crushed me to him.

I gasped, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him even closer holding him as tightly as I possibly could.

"You're okay," Eric chanted to me, a tone of wonderment clearly evident in his voice. His voice was also shaking.

His knees gave out suddenly. I felt us descend to the ground rather quickly, but I was barely jostled. I leaned into the crook of his neck shaking so badly and I breathed in his scent. It was just as I remembered. I began sobbing while I clung to him so powerfully I was sure my nails were digging into his skin.

"You're here," I kept repeating.

"_You_ kept your promise. _You_ are here," He whispered back in awe, pulling me away from him. I was angered by this and forced myself against him once more. He chuckled in a way that I had never heard before. It was so light, so bubbly, and so _happy!_ "Look at me, Sookie, just for a moment. I want to see your face."

I leaned back and looked him in the eyes once more. He was absolutely the same! My heart grew tight with strong emotion once more as I delicately reached up and took hold of his cheek in my palm. Very slowly, because the pain was still there, I leaned up and brushed my lips against his. They were so soft, so tender, just the same and I felt the electric shock at the act, the spark that ignited my body on fire with joy. I breathed through my nose, filling my lungs with air.

I was _alive_!

I went to pull away, but his hands went up into my hair dragging my face to his once more. His lips attacked mine and he devoured me completely. The fire raged on within me, sparks flew and danced up my whole being as his tongue licked my bottom lip, wetting my dried mouth. I opened for him generously feeling the sudden need to taste him just as he did me. I drank him in, and he didn't seem to mind that I was probably all gross still.

We kissed for what felt like hours before we pulled away and simply stared at each other.

"I can't believe you are here," Eric told me honestly. "I nearly gave up, Sookie. I'm so sorry."

He went into detail of what he had planned. Though I was extremely angry at him for even thinking he would decide to meet the True Death, my anger seemed to vanish the moment he told me just how long I was gone.

"Five years?" My voice was so very small. "It took me so long to find you again. _I'm _sorry."

"You don't remember anything?" He questioned lightly as if he was afraid to ask me.

Eric was playing with a strand of my hair. It was dirty and ratted, but he didn't seem to mind at all. The way he was looking at me, I've never seen anyone look at me like he was, even with how _he_ used to look at me before. He was so content, his eyes held warmth I hadn't seen before, and his lips were turned up in a half smile. Eric gazed over my body every now and then. His fingers would drop from my hair to touch my face, run his fingers over my lips, my shoulders, my back, my sides, even my ankles at one point. It was as if he couldn't believe I was truly there. It was as though he needed to touch me to make sure I was real and the thought pained me that he had lived without me for so long and I had kept him waiting, still, I was really enjoying that look on his face!

It was like he was looking at a living, breathing miracle.

Maybe I was, but I didn't feel that way. To me, Eric was always the miracle. He saved me before I saved him.

I thought over his question for a few moments. My mind was foggy and not everything had come back to me, but there was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't quite comprehend its presence. It was a feeling of gnawing dread, but I knew it had nothing to do with being in Eric's arms just then. I only felt it when I tried to remember what happened after I died.

I remembered Rachel. Maybe that was it? Maybe it was because I had yet to tell Eric who she was, or rather, what she was to him? I think that was part of it, but not all. Besides, I wasn't going to tell him about her right now. We had forever to talk about things like that. I just wanted to be with him.

I grabbed his hand that resumed playing with my hair and entwined our fingers. He looked down at me with a big grin like a happy child who had received exactly what he wanted for Christmas. I smiled right back.

"I don't remember, but I'm sure it will come to me sooner or later," I answered, shrugging. I didn't want to ruin the moment by telling him that I felt uneasy at the idea that it would come back to me. I was quite positive that everything would be fine if I didn't remember.

He nodded, accepting my words easily.

Eric leaned his forehead against my own before he kissed me once more. It was slower as his lips glided over mine. It was a light as a feather kiss as if he were content enough to just feel my lips slide against his in a caress.

I let him do this. I let him do whatever it was that he wanted to do to me. So he did just that while he slowly pushed me to my lay flat on my back while he hovered over me. I looked up at him in such need that overwhelmed me as his eyes bore into mine, into my very soul. I had missed him more than anything. I _ached_ for him.

We became reacquainted with each other once more, over and over until well after the sun had risen and fallen once again. It was absolutely blissful. It was Heaven.

I was utterly exhausted by the time we were done, but I was content. I laid next to him while his hand traveled between my breasts to where my heart was. There was a faint, ragged scar there that ran from the top of my sternum to just under my breast, very new and quite pink. I peered up at him through my fuzzy, content state as his eyebrows and mouth fell slightly.

"I held that in my hand," Eric bit out, as if it were hard for him to say. His eyes and his rigidity told me that the act he had to do had overwhelmed him, haunted him. The horror in his eyes made me want to cry. For a man who had seen and done many horrible things in his long existence, for this to affect him in such a traumatizing way tore at me, and I wasn't sure how I could fix it or if I even could.

He was referring to my heart which was somehow given back to me. It beat wildly within my chest, thumping just below the placement of his palm. Eric was grateful to feel it once more. I could tell. I quickly leaned up and kissed him whisking away that look from his eyes. If I could, I would have plucked that memory away forever. I didn't want to see that look cross his face ever again.

"It doesn't matter. It's okay now," I promised with a smile while I stroked the side of his face.

"Swear to me that me you will never do something like this again," Eric's tone was commanding, but it was also pained. I could hear just how much he suffered without me for so long.

"You are always worth it, but yes, I swear, I promise," I smiled. "I don't regret it, whatever I've dealt with. I don't."

"Of course you don't," He rolled his eyes and I laughed. "You are something else, Sookie Stackhouse."

"I'm pretty great," I smirked. Leaning my head on his chest, I whispered, "I really do love you."

"I think you have proven yourself," Eric kissed my forehead. "I love you. They were right though, you know."

"Who?"

"The witches, the premonitions," He explained as I sat up. "They knew what I was going to have to do, and they knew that I was going to love you. They knew all of this and came up with several different paths to keep us from returning to Earth."

"Yes, they did," I agreed when he paused.

"In the end, they also knew that it was a possibility that I would happen to return to Earth, but I believe they thought I would be returning alone."

"They weren't planning on me being able to be resurrected," I finished for him, knowing exactly where he was going with it.

"That was one thing I am sure they never thought would happen," Eric looked thoughtful, smirking. "You have someone looking out for you on the other side."

I shifted uncomfortably on the concrete before I returned a smile the best I could.

"I do," I agreed once more before moving on quickly. "They did expect your return one day. Do you think the witches now will be a problem? _Are_ they a problem?"

It was Eric's turn to look uncomfortable. "There are some things that have...happened. Nothing involving witches as of yet, but we'll have to see what to make of it in the coming days, though none of that matters."

He helped me with my clothes after a moment sensing that I needed to do some things. I needed to see my friends, my family, and most of all; I needed to see _my_ world once more.

"You are very cryptic, _lover_," I raised an eyebrow, using his endearment I heard him say earlier in one of our many, many trysts.

He smirked. "You have just arrived. I would rather celebrate than decide if we are doomed once more."

His words were teasing so I wasn't quite scared of what the new world would be like once I stepped into it. I walked through the crypt I had been in looking back at my tomb one last time. Eric stopped next to me, his fingers running up the length of my arm. I leaned into him.

"It was worth it," I repeated again, more for me than to him. The sense of dread was back in the pit of my stomach. I bit my lip and forced myself to smile up at him as I tilted my head back.

"We'll see," He told me with a chuckle, tilting my head up further to kiss my lips.

Grabbing his hand and lacing our fingers together, we left the crypt. We left the last place that held our hard past and we moved on toward our future. Neither of us were really sure what that would hold. There were no premonitions from here on out, _yet_. Our destiny now was what we made of it, but I'm sure it will probably be enough to fill up an entirely new book. The thought was funny and made me giggle while we walked toward Gran's home. Eric looked down at me, puzzled, but I shook my head. Even I had to keep some secrets.

Eric Northman started out as a fairytale that my Gran read to me when I was a child and now, here he was, holding my hand. I always worried about him being trapped in that other world where I knew he didn't belong. Even though I just wanted to find normality within myself and my own gift at first to not feel like a freak, after all that time I spent with the story, I began wishing that he would just be able to return back home to where he belonged. I always wanted to believe that he would have found happiness and would be able to return to Earth to live out his long life in peace. That was how I wanted the story to end, how I envisioned it to progress long after Gran's tale had ended and I began thinking on my own. A happily ever after is what I wanted for the Vampire King who enthralled me.

Who would have ever thought that that little seven-year-old girl with a big imagination who loved vampires, werewolves, goblins, and ogres over princesses and ponies would finally get her wish for her King to be safe and _also_, for her to not be as alone in the world anymore? It was a fairytale come true, something that seemed so unimaginable. Getting picked on now for never giving up _believing_ seemed worth it in the end, everything was worth it, to feel this way, to feel like she now belonged with her people, her kind, the Supernaturals. Now, they were as safe as they could be at that moment. Who would have thought it possible?

Little seven-year-old Sookie Stackhouse would have been very surprised at the outcome, but she would have been so very, very happy.

_For now… _

THE END, perhaps. . .

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><p><span><strong>Epilogue<strong>

I stood in a large, circular, dusty Victorian looking courtroom staring around at dozens of people. They all had their eyes trained on me, all waiting for me to explain exactly what had happened. I saw some familiar faces as I peered around the desks that sat on several different platform levels.

I was an object to be seen, to be admired. I felt like a star in my very own show and it was unwelcomed and awkward for me to stand before them, but I had been _summoned_. My eyes found Alcide's among the crowd, and I realized these people were sectioned in different categories. Weres, Vampires, Humans, and Shifters, were all seated in their respected racial places. I noticed that a Were guard tapped Alcide on the shoulder, and he leaned back to listen to what the man had to say. Alcide nodded but his eyes still held mine.

He was as shocked as any to see that I was alive. I smiled at him.

Then there were the Vampires. There was Eric in the front, leading the rest of them, though he had looked very bored where he sat. He fiend a yawn, rolling his eyes – it was so unlike him that I smirked.

Next were the Humans. There was a man sitting in the front that I had not remembered from Symperia, but I later learned that he was a mayor of one of the outer towns on Symperia. He was a chubby man, with black hair, beady eyes, and double chins, but he grinned at me as our eyes met.

Then, finally, there was Sam and the Shifters. Sam, my old boss, was more free-spirited than the rest of them. His legs were on top of the desk and his arms were crossed over his chest, but when I gazed at him he pretended to pick his nose and then proceeded to wink in my direction. I laughed, only to cover it up discreetly with a cough.

These leaders all looked at me now, and tons more that sat behind them. With four chairs in front of the rest, with those four specific people placed specially, I deduced that they were the leaders for each major faction that had come from Symperia. All elected by their peers.

"Now, wonderful girl," The human male started, standing up to beam at me with a bright, welcoming smile. "I think I shall be the first one to thank you for what you have sacrificed to get us to our new home, and welcome your return most gleefully!"

And then he started clapping. Everyone else joined in. Alcide and Sam both whistled, looked at each other and laughed as they continued to clap. My cheeks began burning and I knew that I was red in the face.

My eyes sought Eric's. He hadn't wanted me to come here. He said there had been no point, but didn't divulge into his reasons behind his strong argument and therefore, he lost. I had been curious to see what had become of the people after I returned, but I never expected this.

"We owe Sookie our lives, everyone," Sam had spoken next. "I couldn't believe the whispers that were going around of your return. Back from the dead? Even us Supes found that a hard pill to swallow."

"Indeed, Mr. Merlotte has a point," A woman vampire called out next, standing up to address her peers. "If you would permit, My Lady, we would all love to hear how you've escaped the throes of death."

It was my turn to talk. Oh, crap.

"She does not remember," Eric said swiftly, looking at one of his own that had spoken out. His voice was smooth, commanding, and it silenced her.

It was like he did not want to share the information. My eyebrows fell in confusion.

"He's right," I said, clearing my throat. _Stage fright, be gone, evil doer! _"Though I remember having to go through what was called The Trials. I cannot, for the life of me, remember what I had to _do_ to get through them."

The others nodded at my words, accepting them.

"We are just glad you have returned in one piece, Sookie," Alcide's deep voice spoke. He gave me a strained smile. I'd have to ask him why later. I made a mental note as he continued. "All in all, I think what we came here to do is assess that you are you, and to offer you a seat on the council. You have earned it. We've much to catch up on and fix in these times. Your helpful guidance will do wonders."

"Yes," The chubby male human agreed.

"Of course," Sam said.

All heads turned to Eric, all waiting for their resigned King to speak. It was like everyone held their breath, all at once. I looked around the room before my eyes gravitated toward my vampire once more who was pinning me with a strong, calculating look.

"No," He finally said.

It had shocked me and I was sure the evidence of it came across my face. This had shocked them all. Silence, absolute silence, and then uproar ensued.

"You do not wish for your Fae-human to join our cause? We are trying to balance this out," The human leader said, his double chins bouncing with each word. "She single-handedly saved all our hides! She has earned her place among us!"

"I am not denying as such, Clifton," Eric replied. His eyes were still locked on to mine. They were emotionless pits. "But the point still stands. She has just returned. She should not be drawn into our affairs any more than she needs to be. She needs rest. She needs time. This is not her problem."

"Are you saying that Sookie is not one of us?" Sam questioned, standing up to look down at Eric. "That's a load of horseshit!"

There were others that agreed, though less enthusiastically. They were still very much unwilling to go against His Majesty so openly.

Even I felt a little nervous, being the spectacle of this obvious fight. I rung my hands in front of me as the fighting continued. I couldn't look into Eric's eyes any longer. I was quite upset about his dismissal of the offer. It was my choice after all, right? He shouldn't just suspect that he can take ownership for all my decisions.

"We have hefty problems, Mr. Northman," Another human male with mousey, brown hair said, though he almost slipped up and spoke to him as his King. "All of which you and she could be very useful at, but you deny, deny, and deny some more at our requests of aid!"

"I will handle it, but she doesn't." Eric dismissed, his voice ringing out and echoing all around the giant room.

All went silent – so silent in fact a pin drop would probably be heard. The annoyance I felt in that exact moment as all those people stared at me was something I could not handle. I think they held pity in their gazes, but that wasn't_ right_.

They obviously needed help and though I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about – I assumed it had to do with the 'Supe Confusion' – as I called it – that Eric had slipped up and told me about in the crypt. I was more than sure, as the arguments raged on in front of me, that these people were referring to the 'Supe Confusion', which was that there had been others left here on earth at the time when the portals had opened up. There were selective groups of different beings that seemed to have been overlooked when the _purge_ of the Supernaturals had happened so long ago.

It might not be totally about it. It could be any number of things really, but if Eric kept silencing them in my presence I would never know.

And I didn't like it.

I peered at Eric steadily – almost challengingly as I stood up straighter. I felt the eyes of dozens of people I had _saved _on me, waiting for me to possibly agree with what Eric had said. And, although I didn't like the attention that was given to me as it was new and uncomfortable, I felt protective of them all. Like a mother hen looking out for her chicks – funnily enough. If they were asking for my help, why could I not give it? Why would Eric make me look and feel so inferior among these people? _Our_ people.

"It's not your choice, Eric, I'm sorry." I said, not daring to look at him anymore. Instead I picked a spot on the wall as I went against his word – something I had not intended to do,_ ever again_. "When do we begin?"

And I took my spot in one of the chairs, thankful to be out of the spot light as the human leader – Clifton – shuffled some papers on his desk. "Well, as we have tried to explain to Mr. Northman _countless_ times, there are hundreds of Supes that we have catalogued in our five years here that were _not _on Symperia with the rest of us. Now, we don't understand what this means other than the obvious. The witches must not have taken us all as we had originally thought. We have to figure out why…."

* * *

><p>After the meeting, which was not more than twenty minutes of theories on the subject, we were dismissed. Eric had come to my side instantly, grabbing my wrist and pulling me from the room where he shoved me up against the wall in a little alcove, hidden from prying eyes and proceeded to kiss me for all that I was worth.<p>

I had thought he was going to be angry and yell my head off, but I would take this turn of events over the fight I was sure that my defiance would have started.

"Insufferable," He whispered against my lips, "absolutely, undeniably, stubborn to the core."

I breathed deeply, running my hands up the back of his neck to run my fingers through that gorgeous hair. I pulled him against my lips again. He crowded me completely, leaving no room between us. His hips ground forward, his erection evident as it poked me, throbbed against me on my lower stomach. I gasped and my brain hazed at his suddenness.

"I don't need you to protect me, you know."

"Of course you do. What you did in there?" He replied as he made his way down my neck, trailing kisses and licks as he went on, "That was something you should _not_ have done."

"I know," I nodded, lightheadedly. "But you cannot control me like that. We're supposed to be equals, Eric. I don't need you to tell me what to do."

"Like I said," He nipped my neck sending chills down my spine, "stubborn to the core. I'll make you regret defying me."

I smirked, liking the sounds of that.

"Promise?" I teased, feeling brazen as he hiked my right leg up and around his waist. He lifted me against the wall. I placed my left hand against the window that was in the small alcove to balance against him.

Eric turned my chin up and toward him, forcing me to look at his face.

"Do not defy me in this." His voice was commanding, controlling. His eyes bore into mine with such intensity that for just a moment, the cloudy, euphoria I was feeling evaporated.

"Why are you so against it?" I whispered, anger bubbling to the surface. "Do you really not think I could help? Even if it is to just talk with them? Join in on the whole theories thing?"

I watched my vampire close his eyes, his hands tightening against my waist to the point of bruising, but it mattered not. His eyelids fluttered once, he shook his head before his lids popped back open and his blue hues bore into my own. He could light me ablaze with that look – such anger and lust in his gaze.

"Enough talking for now," Eric growled as he lifted up my skirt, pushed my panties to the side and entered me suddenly. I gasped, my chest arched away from the wall as he buried himself to the hilt inside of me.

"B-But–" My voice was shaky.

He effectively cut me off as he pulled out almost fully. He began to rub the bundle of nerves above my folds, just at the right pace as he sank deeper into my warmth with a groan, and my brain began to turn off as pleasure began to eat away my annoyance. He kissed me to silence whatever I was about to retort with. As his tongue pried open my lips before mingling with mine, I gave up the battle as my mind became a puddle of goo, and I couldn't remember exactly what I was arguing for anyway, or if it were even worth it.

But I knew – _he knew_ – that I wouldn't just give up without a fight and whatever it was that we were fighting about would come back once my brain unclogged itself.

All I knew now was the pleasure, the absolute delight of his rigid member as it throbbed inside of me, hitting just the right spot with every brush to make me cry out his name, fogging my brain up even more with every thrust, every pump, every inch he gave me, until I forgot even my own name. Except his – I would never forget his name. Eric made sure I would scream it that night for the whole world to hear in an open, public place, filled with people who had supersensitive hearing. I hadn't cared regardless – too far gone to care for modesty and our indecent behavior.

One thing I knew about my vampire lover was that he was very, _very_ good with distractions.

Being with him will surely never be dull.

* * *

><p>Two beings stood outside the old building that held the council. They both looked through the window, watching as the blond girl's back arched and her mouth opened in a scream of pleasure. They gazed passively onward as the man holding her in the little space, bit into her throat, bucking his hips upward.<p>

"Love," The male spat out with a vicious high-pitched growl. "Can you believe it?"

The man was not really a man at all. He more resembled a large imp. His skin was grey, his nose long and pointed, his head seemed too large for his body. He wore a cap atop his balding head and over his abnormally large bat-like ears. His three claw-like talon toes dug into the soil below him. His tail, which was partially hidden under the fabric of his clothing, swung out under his cloak, twitching as he knelt against the ground to spit his disgust at the displays of sexual intercourse in its act.

"Indeed I can," The woman raised her brow. "I was the one to predict it, after all."

The woman stood tall, strikingly beautiful. Electric blue eyes narrowed at the display before her. She wore a dark, red cloak with the hood lying against her back while her long, light brown, braided hair hung down to the small of her back. She was delicate, but powerful. Her old magic flowed off of her in waves, attracting the imp to move just a bit closer to her.

The woman was a witch, a very powerful, very old woman of dark magic. You could not tell by her beautiful, youthful features how many years she was able to hang onto, how long she clutched to the earth with all her might to live until this day was upon her. She rather enjoyed the idea of cheating Death so far, so much that they have become quite…acquainted over the years, like old friends.

The woman smirked as the vampire adjusted the blond woman's clothes against the window, all without realizing they were being watched so openly. There was never any cause for alarm regardless. She was untraceable at the moment. Her smile turned into a sneer when he leaned down and brushed his lips so softly against her and though the witch couldn't see the actual act – the back of the blond headed woman got in the way – she knew how much the vampire loved this woman. _Disgusting_. It brought up old wounds that never fully healed and the witch was _not weak_. She would not think of similarities.

"You never expected her to live," His gristly, bell-like voice made the woman roll her dark blue eyes. "Tell me how she did it, Madam?"

Yes, that had indeed been a surprise –an_ unwanted _surprise.

"I'm not sure yet, but of course it was magic. Holy magic if I were to guess. It was a….turn of events that I had not expected. Nevertheless, the plan still goes ahead. We'll just have to find a way to make it more interesting, hmm?" The woman turned around, looking away from the two lovers to see her companion gazing at her with satisfaction, his grey-blue lips curling upward unnaturally high to show a row of razor sharp teeth.

"You know how I love it when you are cryptic. I feed off of it!" He wiggled his non-existent eyebrows. "Our magic has grown. We've been ready for their return for a while. When, Madam, when can we kill them all?"

The witch smirked once more as she turned around and watched the two blond lovers walk away from the window hand in hand, disappearing inside the building.

"All in good time, Devlin, you will see. All this work has been centuries in the making. A few more months' time is nothing."

"My lady, can I ask you something?" The male creature shuffled forward, noticing his madam staring at the male vampire that stepped out of the front doors with the girl in toe. "Why is it that you wish to destroy them all? Why did you get involved with the Fae and humans to begin with? Why did you join the war? Not that I mind, at all, Madam! I love your ruthlessness."

The woman's eyes clouded over in anger, as she looked at the vampire with much contempt that could burn a thousand forests to the ground.

"Because my sister chose him over me," The witch's eyes clouded over, her brows shook with anger. "She bonded herself to him, gave up her powers to do so against the coven."

"Your sister must have loved him so greatly to go against the coven," Devlin giggled, clapping his hands. "The plot thickens!"

The witch turned around with wild eyes and brought her hand forward. It connected with his cheek, sending him flying across the forest and into a tree. The tree snapped in half, the top falling to the forest floor behind the creature with a loud thud. He was grabbing his face, sparks of magic burst from the touch as he looked up at his master with frightened eyes, whimpering in his high-pitched voice.

"Don't make this into what it isn't! You always loved a good, romanticized story. It was nothing like that. She was a fool," The witch's teeth clanked together. "Our magic was strongest with us together and she gave it up, hid her relationship. She wanted to become one of_ them_."

"No, madam," Devlin gasped.

"Yes, indeed." The witch cast her eyes to the ground, thinking of the young blond haired girl that stepped out of the old ruined building that the Supernaturals took over to converse their problems. The witch knew by now that they would realize that Supes flourished with time here on Earth, and in time they might even realize that every Supe child born over the centuries _belonged_ to her. She smirked evilly. "They don't understand why I kept some _pets_ over the years," She tsked. "No matter, they will find out soon enough."

She began to make her turn, but Devlin grabbed her wrist. She raised her other hand to strike him for the unnecessary contact, but he gasped.

"Wait, Madam! What are we going to do with the girl?" He pointed toward where the vampire and his human bitch left from several minutes ago. "Sookie Stackhouse," Devlin spit her name out of his mouth as if it were an illness.

"It's not what I'm going to do to her, exactly. I don't even have to touch her." The witch smiled slowly, unnaturally. "She's so pure. I want to taint her. No, hurting her physically outright by my own hands would not achieve my goal. I need to do so emotionally first. I need to break her spirit while effectively messing with a few minds of powerhouse players….and what can I do to achieve that?" She tapped her long fingers against her lips. The tall tale sign of wrinkles beginning to show stated that she needed to make another elixir of youth before Death found his way to her once more."What can I do? Hmm? So many possibilities…._ah_! I think the answer lies somewhere in this whole story of our history, somewhere close to the _beginning_ of our tale…."

"What is it, madam? Please, please share your wisdom and thoughts with your servant!" Devlin begged with wide eyes.

The witch cackled, throwing her light brown, long braided hair over her shoulder with a flick of her fingers. "If I told you all of my plans, then it wouldn't be very fun, now would it?"

With a twist of her body, contorting it in an unhuman-like way, she evaporated in thin air, leaving her servant to stare after her. Devlin hopped around on his feet anxiously, back and forth, whining out loud at her sudden departure.

"I-I'm coming, Madam!" And he took off in the direction that their home was located, his tail waggling the whole while.

* * *

><p>I sat on the floor in the center of the living room of Eric and Pam's home. It was a nice house, in a gated community that was just starting out. Homes were far and few between at the moment. It was spacious, quite modern looking – much more than the two vampires ever needed with a full pristine kitchen and multiple bedrooms. I guess it was my home as well, but I have yet to spend too much time here. I had been with my niece and brother and his wife during the day.<p>

At that moment in time, I was sketching an image of Alcide and Eric, standing side my side in the grand foyer of the castle on our last day on Symperia. It had been four hours and papers were scattered everywhere. Watercolors and colored pencils were to my right, an ink pen and charcoal to my left. In front of me sat a typewriter – Gran's old one I found in the attic when Jason and I started to clean out the dusty place five days prior.

I had been busy for the past several days. The task before me kept me going, especially when I was having trouble sleeping for…_reasons _I wasn't ready to understand or admit to myself just yet. I had been scared to sleep, and_ this_ gave me a reason not to – a happy reason.

I didn't want to think about the dreams I've been having when my eyes shut and I begin to drift. They were not dreams, per se, nightmares would be a better word for them, and I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that maybe they weren't nightmares at all. Maybe they were…_memories_, but that didn't seem right. I didn't understand my terror the dreams elicited from me either. It was only darkness….and glowing, grey eyes.

_Grey eyes…._

_Grey eyes…._

I hadn't noticed I was trembling. With a small curse, I erased the few lines that turned out horribly. Shaking my head at my stupidity, releasing a loud sigh and trying to still my nerves, I leaned over the sketch book once more and rubbed the charcoal with my fingertips, shading half of Alcide's face.

Suddenly, I jumped as I felt lips brush my neck. But after I realized who was behind me, I closed my eyes with a small, relieved chuckle as he continued to lazily kiss behind my ear. After another moment, I felt him kneel before scooting up right behind me. H then, pulled me back against his chest, and his arms wrapped around my waist to hold me in place. His chin fell to rest on top of my right shoulder as he looked at my work. He nuzzled me behind my ear, biting playfully at the lobe, making me giggle.

"You finally decided to wake up?" I asked, turning slightly to press a kiss to his face. I managed to kiss the corner of his jaw.

"Have you finally decided to get some much needed rest?" His voice was soft, but wary. We had a fight before he laid down for the day. He didn't want to rehash the fight once more. I couldn't blame him.

I bit my lip.

"Yeah," I lied. "I was going to, but I got so busy with this."

"And are you finally going to tell me what _'this'_ is? I can make a guess, but I'd like for you to tell me." Eric answered, seemingly happy with the change of topic.

I smiled as his lips kissed the juncture of my neck and shoulder. It was one of my spots. I groaned as his tongue lapped at the love bite he managed to give me there.

"Give me a second." I said as I wriggled out of his grasp.

I grabbed the sheets of paper that I had typed on, grabbed the images I had managed to draw and bunched them together, fixing them in a make-shift order that was all wrong, but would get the point across. And finally, I pulled the cover from the small, glass coffee table. I had made it by hand, fairly proud at my work, and turned around to Eric. I gave him the many pages of words and sketches first, and watched as he slowly went through them, page after page. He read a few lines, smiled and continued.

"These are done really well," He commented with a proud smirk, his eyes never leaving the pages.

I rolled my eyes as I blushed. "I am not an artist, Eric, but thank you."

"So, this is….?" He lifted his eyes to meet mine. He held them for such a long time. There was a pull in my stomach, drawing me nearer to him. I leaned over him and brushed my lips against his. I couldn't help it. But, I pulled away before he could grab me, which I knew he had wanted to do. I giggled as he growled. With small maneuvering, I placed the last part of the project in his lap– the cover.

"The story of our history," I confirmed.

Eric nodded his understanding with a small, lazy, content smile. I watched as his eyebrows ran together as he looked down at the cover before running his hands over the one word at the top stitched into the leather – the title. His blond eyebrow rose and he looked at me with a devilish, slight mocking smile. I took no offence to it.

"_Folklore_?" He questioned.

I laughed outright, sitting down in front of him. I had a reason to name it that, though it was something I didn't find worth sharing at that particular moment in time. When I first created the first book – the one I had torn to pieces – I had named it '_Folklore_' as well, that was back when I didn't think it was all truly real. I wanted to keep it, for my own nostalgia. It had been more important to me than it probably should have been. It was a small, embarrassing reason, but I still wanted it to stay the same, regardless. Besides, this was my own book. I didn't need to explain to anyone. Not like anyone would see it unless I chose otherwise.

"It had a ring to it." I said instead.

"But we've established I was real." He placed it at his side before crawling over to me. He pinned me under him in a matter of seconds. "This is real, is it not?"

I licked my lips at the turn of events. I really loved it when he would be suddenly _surprising_ like this.

"Oh, absolutely," I leaned up and kissed him as he loosened the drawstrings of my pants.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if you truly believe it's real. I mean, with a title like that on _our book_." Eric hovered over me. His eyes devoured my body almost sinfully as he playfully teased me with his words. His head dipped down and his tongue lapped around my naval. He had move so fast! My hips bucked at the suddenness, but he stilled me in my place on the carpet with his hands on my hips. "Maybe I need to show you how real I am, Sookie."

"Every single day," I replied instantly, wanting him to know how much I wanted him – how I would never tire of our moments together. "I must be reminded that it's all real, it seems."

"Then do we must, lover." He answered as he tore my pants away from my body. I looked down at him and saw that his fangs had descended. As he caught me watching, his lips lifted up and I gazed at him as he licked his right fang. I felt warmth pool between my legs. He could smell my arousal, which was the reason for his sudden smugness as he said, "At least, with me, it's _always_ a happy ending."

My lips curled up in a smile as I laughed at our playfulness, but I was trembling with want. I was wanton, and I needed him. Now.

"That it does," I nodded, before commanding, "Now, give me my happily ever after already."

"As you wish," Eric said right before he joined our bodies together.

Sudden blissfulness entered my very being at being so full, so content. All of my worries, my nightmares faded as Eric swaddled me in his arms – my safe harbor – and continually made love to me. When he was with me like this, all was well, and all was forgotten.

Everything had been worth it in the end.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to us at the time, in the background and placed on the table, Gran's letter to me began to glow. I would only later come across her written words. I would later read her beautiful cursive handwriting with a blank face and numb insides, because her last message – her final parting words – was just as ominous as several before it: <em>I <em>fear_ your journey has only just begun, my child_.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Story Notes<strong>: AND….there we are! Folklore is DONE! *Throws confetti* I hoped you liked the ending. Thoughts?

I am leaving several options open for a possible sequel. I don't want to just come out and say that there will be one, but it IS a very big possibility! I have even written some small things on the side for it, so there is that! :) Okay, okay….there is one on the way. HOWEVER, I have no idea when I will post it. I want to have it ALL mapped out and whatnot beforehand. I don't want to disappoint you with never updating because I have lost inspiration on it.

Msbuffi and I will also be revising previous chapters for this story sometime in the future. I don't know how much will change when we begin to tackle it all – if any at all – but I just wanted to warn you in case you get any updates in your mail. There will not be any more updated chapters for this story.

**THANK YOU**: To each and every one of you – readers, reviewers, followers and to everyone that has put this on their favorite story lists, thank you for taking the time to go on this journey with me. I cannot tell you how much each and every one of you mean to me. YOU are my inspiration to keep going, YOU are my inspiration to come up with new story ideas, and YOU are the reason that I have accomplished SO much more than I originally thought I would with this site. There has not been a day that has gone by since we began this journey that I haven't just smiled because I thought about you all. You truly are the greatest people that I know, and I am so very fortunate and humbled by your friendship and your positive words and guidance. You each have a very special place within my heart. Thank you for EVERYTHING, my fanfic family. 3

I do hope you continue with me with future stories whenever they arise! *Whispers* I have one in the process already.

_**Msbuffi**_: I wanted to personally thank you for all of your beta-ing efforts, for taking the time and energy to do something that you didn't have to do. It truly means the world to me that you reached out to help. We started late in the game, but together we have made this story even better than I would have been able to do on my own. You have become someone I shall cherish for the rest of my days. I am very lucky and fortunate to be able to call you my friend. We shall, hopefully, have many more stories and journeys and talks ahead of us in the future. :)

Much love, my dearest readers,

SharaMoon


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